What to make of Laurel? Keith Melrose assesses the buzz horse in the Sun Chariot

Saturday: 2.42 Newmarket
Royal Bahrain Sun Chariot Stakes (Group 1) | 1m | 3yo+ fillies and mares | ITV4/RTV

While they are hardly starved of opportunity, the best female milers are rarely given the stage to themselves. The 1,000 Guineas and Falmouth are not the feature races at their respective meetings, the Coronation Stakes arguably not the biggest race on its own card. Even the Sun Chariot, which is the major prize in Britain this weekend, stands in the long shadow cast by goings-on at Longchamp.

Mostly for this reason, the Sun Chariot is regarded as a substandard Group 1. However, as far as the official rankings of the Pattern Committee are concerned, the race is comfortably mid-table among British Group 1s, ahead of the St Leger, Coronation Cup and the Sussex Stakes.

This is partly because the pecking order is broadly in place by this point in the season and that those who fight out the finish have generally earned their keep in Group 1s already. That certainly goes for Saffron Beach, Homeless Songs and Prosperous Voyage, who have all won at this level over this trip in 2022. Having horses like those in the race makes Laurel's presence all the more interesting.