Ascot latest: Hamish lifts Cumberland Lodge with ease

Hamish produced a career-best effort with an easy victory in the Peroni Nastro Azzurro Cumberland Lodge Stakes at Ascot.

Pat Dobbs could not have had a more simple task in the Group Three contest, as the six-year-old Motivator gelding travelled like a dream throughout.

Always in the front rank, tracking the pace set by Third Realm, backers of the 11-10 favourite never had a moment’s worry, as Dobbs barely had to move a muscle in the mile-and-a-half contest.

A ready winner of the Ormonde Stakes at Chester in May and an excellent runner-up in the Irish St Leger, he looked the form pick in the field of nine and duly obliged, cruising past the gallant Cresta (4-1) inside the final furlong for a length-and-a-quarter success, with fellow Haggas inmate Candleford staying on a further neck back in third.

Maureen Haggas, assistant and wife to trainer William Haggas, has recently recovered from a neck injury sustained in a gallops fall in August.

She said: “He’s my favourite. I ride him when I can ride and I ride him all the time. I love him. He just seems to get better.

“He loves this soft ground. He is in the St Simon, which is a Group Three, so he will have four penalties. He doesn’t stay the long trip here. So, we will have to see.

“He has run three times (this season), won two and was second in a Group One. He has just got to hang around until I am allowed to ride again, poor boy!”

Dobbs added: “He is just getting better. He is a class horse and he loved that ground.

“There is always the concern that one will come by on the inside and you don’t see them, but he travelled so well and I was asked to leave it late on him. That’s what we did.”

Cresta stayed on nicely under David Probert and he will now likely be put away until next season.

Freddie Meade, who trains in partnership with his father, Martyn, said: “We have to be pleased with that.

“You don’t beat horses like that who can travel so well. I think that will be his lot for the season as there isn’t much for him now.”

Adam Kirby was at his brilliant best as he delivered Rohaan with a superbly-timed run to take the John Guest Racing Bengough Stakes.

The David Evans-trained four-year-old has been a standing dish at Ascot, winning a Group Three and two Wokinghams from his four previous starts over this course and six-furlong distance.

He also had his optimum conditions with some cut in the ground and cosily justified 3-1 favouritism in the Group Three event.

A close fourth under waiting tactics in the Group One Prix Maurice de Gheest at Deauville in August, he was back on his game this time, with Kirby striking for home a little sooner than he perhaps would have wanted.

However, he stayed on nicely to fend off the persistent challenge of Ayr Gold Cup winner Summerghand (20-1), who did well to get within a length and a half of the winner in easy ground that would not have suited him ideally. Commanche Falls stuck to the task a short-head further back in third.

Kirby said: “I’m delighted with the horse. I’m really chuffed for his trainer, Dave, who is a top man. This horse is like a child to him – he rides him out himself every day. He is gutted he couldn’t make it today, as he has had to do other things.

“He loves it here and likes cut in the ground. It is nice to get the ride on him and good to win on him.

“He is only tricky in that he is a hold-up horse. There is nothing tricky about him – he is very genuine.

“It means a lot to us and David is more or less my father-in-law, so it is a special day.”