Frankie Dettori steered Foxtrot Lady (18/1) to a surprise victory in the Group Three bet365 Sceptre Fillies' Stakes at Doncaster.
Andrew Balding's filly was well beaten at Haydock most recently but relished the return to seven furlongs, running out a cosy winner from favourite Althiqa.
While Althiqa was always placed close to the pace, Dettori was happy to bide his time on Foxtrot Lady and the Italian was still sitting quietly as the runners entered the final two furlongs.
Dettori - sporting the colours of the great Lochsong, who he rode to multiple Group One victories in the early 1990s - eventually gave Foxtrot Lady the office when steering his mount to the stands' side rail and she displayed a smart turn of foot to put the race to bed in a matter of strides.
Bounce The Blues made up plenty of ground late on to snatch third, just behind Althiqa who went down on her sword but was a length and a quarter in arrears of Foxtrot Lady at the finish.
Dettori said: “Andrew booked me late and I didn’t know what to expect. It looked a wide-open event.
“I was lucky I had Andrea (Atzeni, on Cloak Of Spirits) next to me – he took the wind for me.
“There’s a bit of a headwind and I filled her with confidence and sat and had one run at it and she picked up – it’s as simple as that.”
Tarboosh slams Scarbrough rivals
Tarboosh showed his younger rivals a clean pair of heels when claiming first prize in the bet365 Scarbrough Stakes.
The Paul Midgley-trained seven-year-old came into the race without a win so far in 2020 but was much the best on this occasion, always travelling strongly in the slipstream of the leaders before putting the race to bed with a decisive turn of foot.
Favourite Dakota Gold set his stall out from the outset and went straight to the front, but he looked to be a sitting duck with a couple of furlongs to run as two-year-old Acklam Express hit the front.
However, Kevin Stott continued to cut a confident figure aboard Tarboosh (8/1) and he would have been happy with the response he got when sending his mount into the lead inside the final furlong, the veteran quickening up in good style and comfortably holding off a late challenge from Irish raider Urban Beat.
To his credit, Dakota Gold stuck on well to claim a share of the spoils in third.
Midgley said: “He was good today and when he’s good, he’s very good. He ran a good race at York, I’m just not sure what happened at Beverley last time – it just didn’t happen. We started to think he could be better on flat tracks.
“There’s a Group Three for him at Newbury on Ayr Gold Cup day and that is highly likely, I can’t believe it’s taken us this long to win a Listed race with him.
“He deserves a chance at a big one. I didn’t put him in the Abbaye with all the travel problems, but we said if we were lucky enough we could always supplement him, so that is an an option.”
Keenan on Fire in Legends race
Darragh Keenan steered Goddess Of Fire to a surprise victory in the Mondialiste Leger Legends Classified Stakes at Doncaster.
The one-mile contest is usually confined to retired jockeys, with such stars of the sport as Julie Krone, Mick Kinane, Sir Anthony McCoy and Joseph O’Brien among those on the roll of honour.
However, this year’s renewal was confined to professionals only, due to Covid-19 restrictions, with Frankie Dettori among those keen to support a contest that has raised more than £1.1million for Jack Berry House and the Northern Racing college since its inception in 2010.
Despite having been placed on his last couple of appearances at Beverley and Wolverhampton last month, the John Ryan-trained Goddess Of Fire was a 33-1 shot under her apprentice rider.
However, the daughter of Toronado defied her odds with a strong finishing effort to score by just under two lengths from Defence Treaty and Tony Hamilton, with The Throstles third in the hands of Ray Dawson.
Latest Generation opens account
Latest Generation kicked off the meeting with a comfortable victory in the British Stallion Studs EBF Maiden Stakes.
Having made a promising start to his career when running-on well for third at Sandown last month, the Simon and Ed Crisford-trained colt took a nice step forward to open his account in workmanlike fashion under William Buick.
The son of Frankel certainly wasn't missed in the betting and was sent off the well-backed 8/11 favourite following strong support throughout the morning.
His supporters rarely had an anxious moment, though, as Buick kept things simple, quickly sending his mount into the lead and keeping him up to his work when newcomer Stay Well briefly threatened to make a race of it with a promising late run of his own inside the final furlong.
In the end, Latest Generation pulled out plenty when asked for maximum effort and had his earns pricked when hitting the winning line with a length and a half to spare.
Stay Well claimed the runner-up spot with Saligo Bay edging out Moktasaab for third.
Buick said afterwards: “He was in front, but we went fractions to suit him, so I’m not sure how hard it was for him.
“At the end of the day he’d only had one run and was in front a long way there, but he’s done it well.
“He’ll be a nice horse for next year. I don’t think you could ask any more from him.”
Ataser maintains upward curve
Ataser (10/3 fav) registered his third success from only five career starts when edging out Party Game in a thrilling finish to the bet365 Nursery Handicap.
A slow start had appeared to have put paid to Ataser's chances but he picked up really well in the closing stages, running down Gumdrop and Mayaas before holding off a late challenge from Party Game who himself finished with a rattle.
Only a head separated the pair at the line, with Gumdrop holding on for third, and the victory was another notable one for rookie Newmarket trainer Terry Kent who worked for David Loder and was assistant trainer to Roger Varian before going it alone this season.
Jedd O’Keeffe ran two in the Each Way Extra At bet365 Handicap and it was bottom-weight Strait Of Hormuz (6/1) under Andrea Atzeni who came out on top.
“He’s doing really and what is crucial to him is a strong pace, you’ll see the best of him when he gets it,” said O’Keeffe.
“He wouldn’t get in the Cambridgeshire this year so we might have to give it some serious thought for next year.”
The closing Parkes Bros Roofing Contractors Handicap went to Sound Of Iona (12/1) who beat her Jim Goldie-trained stablemate Primo’s Comet.