We all wanted Frankie to have a last Royal Ascot hurrah. In the end he got four, including a ninth Gold Cup to list on the Dettori honours board, a ride in carriage four of the Royal Procession and a cheeky kiss for the Queen. Ascot has always done for him what the Hollies crowd at Edgbaston have done for Stuart Broad, revved up by his flailing arms as he pounds into the wicket. But let us not grieve: a truly thrilling Ascot provided plenty more evidence of quality in the saddle.

‘Riding is about reaction,’ said Ruby Walsh after Shaquille won the Commonwealth Cup for co-trainers Julie Camacho and Steve Brown in the hands of Oisin Murphy. As the stalls opened, Shaquille reared up, losing many lengths, but in a mature display of cool courage Murphy didn’t rush it. He crept quietly and steadily back to the pack, then threaded his way through to win going away. In the Wokingham Stakes the tricksy Khaadem, who had sat in the stalls the previous year in the King’s Stand, dropped jockey Jamie Spencer behind the gates when the blinds went on. But the man they call The Magician settled him in the rear, came through smoothly from two out and picked off Sacred in the last hundred yards. Joy all round.

Charlie Hills had kept faith with the -seven-year-old when Shadwell disposed of him and was determined to ‘train him as a proper horse’, while Dubai-based owner Jim Hay regards Jamie Spencer as part of the family. The only surprise, apart from the 80-1 price, was to learn that this was Jamie’s first Group One victory in Britain since 2011.

Equally warming was the Hardwicke victory for the popular Pyledriver, one of those one-time underdog horses who has been adopted by the racing nation. Hearts worn on sleeves are my favourite Ascot fashion and co-trainer Willie Muir, who reckoned his charge short of work after an injury, does it better than any: ‘I went to bed early last night and after I got up for the tenth time my wife said: “If you do it once more you’ll have to sleep downstairs.”’

Every day was full of sights which will linger: jumps trainer Nicky Henderson’s hurdler Ahorsewithnoname, in foal to Cracksman, winning what was to be her last race, a beaming Ralph Beckett rushing around two sets of exultant owners after performing the remarkable feat of training the first two home in the Royal Hunt Cup with the 22-1 Jimi Hendrix and the 25-1 Sonny Liston. Then there was John Gosden wryly noting of Mostahdaf, who had become visibly excited in the parade ring before trouncing a quality field in the Prince of Wales Stakes: ‘He’s going to enjoy being a stallion.’

Sometimes courage is rewarded: Newmarket trainer Tom Clover secured his first Royal Ascot victory with Rogue Millennium after the Rogues’ Gallery owners agreed to spend £13,000 supplementing the horse to run in the Duke of Cambridge Stakes.

Sometimes it isn’t: it has been brave of Godolphin to campaign Derby winner Adayar as a five-year-old in a quest for a Group One victory over the shorter ten furlongs, which will increase his stud value, but his third behind Mostahdaf will have done the opposite.

Sometimes it is nice to see recompense too: jockey Jack Mitchell was jocked off Rogue Millennium in favour of Ascot specialist Danny Tudhope but he got on the winner’s rostrum anyway, riding Royal Champion for Roger Varian. And one magic moment? For me it was the sight of 66-1 Derby second King of Steel, a magnificently muscled and imposing grey, confirming his powerful quality with jockey Kevin Stott in the King Edward VII Stakes. With him I truly believe we ain’t seen nothing yet.

The string of long-priced winners at Ascot this year, including 150-1 shot Valiant Force, Khaadem and a string of 25- or 20-1 shots had professional punters moaning how hard it was to find winners, but for the first time in my life I made a profit every day. This was partly because after recommending him to readers I took an interest in Neil Callan’s mounts and he obliged with victories on Triple Time at 25-1 and Burdett Road at 20-1 (I got 33s) but also because I share Jim Hay’s approach: ‘Don’t imagine you are going to back a winner in every race because you won’t. Try and bet something that will finish in the first three, four or five and get bookies offering six places. That’s a good bet.’

I raise the subject only because our Twelve to Follow have been a little slow into stride this summer. Some have achieved promising places (which gallingly will trim their prices next time out) but until Saturday the win count was nil. Zilch. Nada. All was gloriously changed though when Hollie Doyle charged home on Saint Lawrence to win the Wokingham at 22-1 for trainer Archie Watson. Thanks too to previous trainer Roger Varian advising owners the Deers that the horse would benefit from changing yards. Off we go…