Salford City trailed in the early stages of the Group Three contest and still had plenty to do a furlong out, but once Johnny Murtagh found room he burst clear to beat Fokine by a length and three-quarters.

Elsworth, best known for his handling of the great Desert Orchid over jumps, has nevertheless had his share of top Flat performers and was entitled to be dreaming of Epsom afterwards.

“He needed every yard of seven furlongs and I always thought that, provided he ran well enough, he would go on to the Guineas,” said the trainer.

“He did well to go through that gap. There is a lot more space and another furlong for him at Newmarket.

“Then we can think about Epsom. He is bred to stay a mile and a quarter and I have got the faith to see him through the extra two furlongs, hopefully.

“He will certainly give himself every chance of staying the trip because he is a horse who settles so well. But we will have to wait and see. I can dream about it, anyway.”

Bookmakers were impressed and the Michael Tabor-owned colt is now as short as 5-1 for the UltimateBet.com 2000 Guineas with Ladbrokes, who go 8-1 for the Derby.

Yeats, meanwhile, gave connections no anxious moments as he led all the way for an easy 10-length victory in the PW McGrath Memorial Ballysax Stakes at Leopardstown yesterday.

Trainer Aidan O’Brien said: “He’s a big, long-striding, uncomplicated horse and the Derby is the plan.

“Ideally he wants better ground. He’s a great mover and he’s well balanced, so he should handle Epsom OK.”

Ladbrokes reacted by cutting the colt to 4-1 favourite for the Vodafone Derby from 6-1.

It wasn’t such plain sailing for leading Guineas fancy Grey Swallow, who gave his supporters a scare when he scrambled home by a head from Meath in the Leopardstown 2000 Guineas Trial.

Trainer Dermot Weld reported: “It was a workmanlike performance. He needed the race and he blew up half a furlong down.”

Ladbrokes kept the Irish horse at 6-1, but Coral pushed him out to 13-2 from 9-2.

On the fillies’ front, Majestic Desert staked her claim for the UltimateBet.com 1000 Guineas with a resolute victory in the Dubai Duty Free Fred Darling Stakes at Newbury.

She was held up in the early stages by Kieren Fallon and when a gap appeared a furlong out, produced a good turn of foot to beat Nyramba by a length.

“The way she was working at home, she’s a very high-class filly,” said trainer Mick Channon. “She’s just a professional and she’s got speed. This could be the one – I just have that feeling.

“She is a very, very good filly. So is Silca’s Gift (who won the Nell Gwyn Stakes at Newmarket on Wednesday), but this one’s better.”

Ladbrokes are best-priced at 8-1 Majestic Desert for the 1000 Guineas.

Another Newbury highlight was the short-head victory of the Barry Hills-trained Dubai Success after a thrilling duel with Gamut in the Group Three Dubai Irish Village Stakes.

And Bryan McMahon’s El Coto took advantage of scrimmaging among his rivals to pounce for a surprise 20-1 success in the stanjamesuk.com Spring Cup.

A massive gamble on 7-4 favourite Alkaadhem went astray when he became trapped behind a wall of horses.

The jump season is winding down, but jockey Graham Lee must be wishing it could go on forever.

He followed up his great victory in the Martell Cognac Grand National on Amberleigh House two weeks ago by landing the Gala Casinos Daily Record Scottish Grand National on Grey Abbey on Saturday.

The Howard Johnson-trained 10-year-old shouldered 11st 10lb, the biggest weight carried to victory in the Ayr marathon since the legendary Red Rum scored under 11st 13lb in 1974.

That was the last time a jockey – Brian Fletcher – had triumphed in both the Grand National and the Scottish equivalent, Red Rum having just completed the second of his three triumphs at Aintree.

Lee made all and won handsomely in the end after last week’s Irish Grand National hero Granit D’Estruval fell at the last fence.

The jockey could hardly believe it when he took the Aintree glory on Amberleigh House, and as he returned mud-spattered to the weighing-room this time, he said: “I can’t believe this, either!

“I’m on a real roller-coaster ride at the moment and I am very lucky. When it stops I will get off and smile.”

Bingley trainer Sue Smith had a luckless day.

Her Simply Supreme started joint-favourite for the Scottish National but fell at the first, while the stable’s Mister McGoldrick had the Ashleybank Investments Future Champion Novices’ Chase sewn up when tipping up at the second-last.

That handed the prize on a plate to the Charlie Mann-trained Keltic Bard.