Alamshar’s grandmother is Aliysa who was deprived of her 1989 Oaks victory on a technicality but has

Alamshar’s grandmother is Aliysa, who was deprived of her 1989 Oaks victory on a technicality but has more than put the record straight in the paddocks.The slow pace during the middle of the race was judged not to have suited Sulamani. Frankie Dettori, his jockey, said: “It was great that he ran such a good race, but I needed a strong pace and it did not develop.” The other two Godolphin runners, Grandera, a shadow of the horse who took last year’s World Series, and Leadership, filled the last two places.The score is now 27-26 to three-year-olds over the older generations in the King George. Kris Kin, forced to come round his field, was the 25th Derby winner to essay the task and the 12th to have failed. “Too far back and too wide the whole way,” was his trainer Sir Michael Stoute’s view. Last year’s St Leger winner Bollin Eric stayed on for fourth, in front of Falbrav, whose rider, Darryll Holland, took him the scenic route in search of the faster ground he favours under the trees through Swinley Bottom. “When he turned into the straight and met the softer ground he just faltered,” said Falbrav’s trainer Luca Cumani.The 3-1 favourite Nayef, runner-up last year but only seventh this time, was another incommoded by the going.

“The ground was no good to him,” said his rider, Richard Hills. “It was getting tacky and he just cannot use his long stride when it is like that.”Big race details1 Alamshar J Murtagh 13-22 Sulamani L Dettori 9-23 Kris Kin K Fallon 7-24 Bollin Eric K Darley 16-1Winning trainer: John OxxWinning owner: H H Aga KhanWinning distances: 31/2l, 2l, 1/2lFavourite: Nayef 3-1 (7th). Paris prologue: Fourth in the 6.5km prologue, Jan Ullrich’s five-second advantage over Lance Armstrong is minimal, but a good omen for the German nonetheless. “I should have come in and checked the circuit, that was a mistake,” admitted Armstrong, whose seventh place was his worst prologue performance since 1999.

The American’s fall leaves him with a painful lower back.Stage four: Team time-trial (Joinville to Saint Dizier): Armstrong’s US Postal team score their first-ever success, with team-mate Victor Hugo Pe?aking the yellow jersey. Ullrich’s team, Bianchi, whose mechanics finished preparing the bikes as late as 4am, lose 43 seconds, finishing third.Stage five (Troyes to Nevers): Ullrich comes close to abandoning with gastroenteritis. But, as Ullrich put it, “my directeur sportif Rudy Pevenage told me I had to continue to matter what. So I did.”Stage eight (Sallanches-L’Alpe d’Huez): Ullrich’s dicky stomach leaves him reeling on L’Alpe d’Huez’s 21 hairpins.