Cannock Chase defied a penalty to go one better than last year when giving Sir Michael Stoute his sixth win in the Huxley Stakes.
The five-year-old was runner-up in the Group 3 contest at Chester 12 months ago on soft ground and had to concede 7lb all round following his victory in the Canadian International last October.
He made light of that burden as he was given a well-judged ride by Ryan Moore, who kept him close enough to the pace set by Top Notch Tonto.
As Battalion took over on the turn into the home straight, Moore made his move and quickly forged in front before galloping on strongly to beat the favourite Western Hymn by a length, with Master Carpenter a short head away in third.
Following his victory in the Huxley Stakes, Cannock Chase was cut into 8/1 from 14/1 by Titanbet for the Prince of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot next month, a race he finished seventh in last season.
Champion jockey Silvestre de Sousa continued his fruitful partnership with Ed Dunlop when Dark Red completed a hat-trick in the opening 1m2f handicap.
The trainer-jockey combination struck at Newmarket over the weekend in a decent handicap and were on the board again as Dark Red continued his progression.
Dark Red broke well from a wide draw to sit fourth as Felix De Vega set a steady tempo, with the finish eventually featuring horses who raced handily.
De Sousa’s mount squeezed up the favourite Darshini when challenging a furlong out, but he was then always holding Felix De Vega on the run to the line to win by a neck, with Perfect Cracker a further length back in third.
