Blue Line provided a proud, if nerve-wracking, moment of glory for trainer Michael Madgwick and owner-breeder Nell Coller at Lingfield.
Sent off at 33-1 for the mile-long Richardson Handicap, her rider Marc Halford cut sharply up the inside rail when making his move inside the final furlong, scrimmaging with even-money favourite Sailor King and Titus Lumpus.
There was a stewards’ inquiry and bans aplenty but to the relief of her team, she kept the three-quarter length victory.
“The owner bred her, the dam and the granddam, and they’ve all won” said Hampshire-based Madgwick, on the mark for the first time this new season.
“The dam (Out Line) didn’t win until she was five but went on to win six races, so let’s hope she keeps improving.”
Halford was punished with a one-day suspension for careless riding (May 22), while Jim Crowley was given the same punishment for his ride on runner-up Sailor King.
Liam Keniry produced a piece of trickery to get 3-1 favourite Rowe Park up in the feature five-furlong Weatherbys Bloodstock Insurance Handicap.
Keniry squeezed through the tightest of gaps inside the final furlong, pulling a length away from Bold Minstrel once seeing daylight.
Handler Linda Jewell said: “He was maybe lucky to get the break but he has plenty of speed and it shone through today.
“I think the plan would be to go to Windsor in 10 days’ time.”
The easiest winner of the day came in division one of the Genco Construction Ltd Maiden Stakes, which went to 12-1 shot Royal Rock.
Galipette for the in-form Henry Cecil yard was all the rage and was sent off the 4-9 favourite, but she was labouring at the business end of the race and managed only fifth.
The Chris Wall-trained scorer shaped well on his last outing and had Ian Mongan looking around for rivals as he swept away by two and a half lengths from the running-on Duchess Royale.
Mongan rattled off a double in the closing Tarmac Southern Handicap, guiding the Brian Meehan-trained Jack Oliver to out-do the luckless Cecil’s Cavalry Guard by a neck.
Division two of the three-year-old maiden saw an even warmer favourite at 1-3 in the shape of Luca Cumani’s Monte Alto.
The Danehill Dancer colt at least landed the odds, cruising under Nicky Mackay as he approached the lead, although he was a little workmanlike in the way he repelled the 66-1 outsider Buxton by a length and a half.
Connections remained upbeat, with Cumani’s representative Ed Walker reporting: “Nicky said he was travelling immensely well and when he hit the front he was just very green.
“When he waved the stick he went on again and will want further than seven furlongs in the future.”
Nicomedia (4-1) came with a late rattle under Hadden Frost to steal the prize in a blanket finish for the M & E Civil Engineering & Groundworks Fillies’ Handicap by a head.
Previous experience told in the EBF Maiden Stakes, with the race-fit 5-6 favourite Barraland (Chris Catlin) clearing a length and a half away from unfurnished debutant Adab.