Watch: Brother to Rebel's Romance wins Kempton debut by 21 lengths!

Fortitudine won the Becky Burke Memorial Novice Stakes by 21 lengths on Wednesday evening.

Sent into an early lead in division one of the novice events by James Doyle, the Charlie Appleby-trained three-year-old moved well clear of the bulk of the field before the turn for home, with only Purple Moon in the same parish.

As that runner faded into fourth - passed by 5-6 favourite Dialstone and Treble Bass who would finish second and third - Fortitudine stretched further and further clear.

The winning distance was 21 lengths, but could have been more if Doyle had asked more serious questions.

Speaking to Racing TV afterwards, Doyle said: "I think everyone has been a bit surprised by that [performance] to be honest. 

"It sounds like his work was only okay, just going through the motions a little bit, but he sparked up on the track there didn't he? He jumped very quick and was quite professional really."

The well-travelled Rebel's Romance won 22 of his 32 races for Appleby, with notable highlights being the 2022 and 2024 Breeders' Cup Turf and the 2024 Dubai Sheema Classic.

Appleby, speaking on Thursday, added: “I have to be honest, it surprised us all. He’s a full-brother to Rebel’s Romance, so he’s got the pedigree there to do it.“He’d be half the size of Rebel’s Romance and his work hadn’t got you too excited, with his pedigree we just had to let him out and run and James gave him a nice ride, kept it simple and kept the revs up and take nothing away from him – he went and galloped them into the ground. “We’ll place him in a novice in the first week of October and work it out from there, but he’s going to be a next year horse – you’d want him to get a bit stronger looking.”