Royal delight at Windsor as Fabricate takes Winter Hill glory

Fabricate was a royal winner at Windsor in lifting the Bet & Watch At sunbets.co.uk Winter Hill Stakes.

Awarded a good handicap prize at Glorious Goodwood in the stewards' room, the Michael Bell-trained five-year-old did not need the intervention of the officials on this occasion, with Gerald Mosse taking it up just over a furlong out on the Queen's runner as last year's winner Chain Of Daisies gave way.

The 11-2 chance stayed on strongly from there to beat Spark Plug by a length and a quarter in the Group Three affair, with the front-running Chain Of Daisies in third.

Bell said: "It's my first Group winner for the Queen, so that's a real tick in the box. I'm delighted.

"He's such a deliverer, this horse. He's very, very brave, he's had a few issues over the years and to keep getting better as he gets older is a testament to the team at home who have kept him going.

"I'd say we'll probably look for another Group Three with a penalty."

Mosse said: "It's my first ride (for the Queen), I cannot get more happy - it's more than a winner in my eyes."

Second Step ran out a ready winner of the Sri Lanka August Stakes.

Jamie Spencer never had Roger Charlton's six-year-old too far off the pace set by King Bolete, before asking him for his effort inside the final quarter-mile.

Second Step (6-4 favourite) drifted across to the stands rail, but pulled away to take the Listed spoils by two and a half lengths from Law And Order. King Bolete was a length and a quarter back in third.

"He's a lovely horse. He's been around a while. He's holding his form together and he had a penalty for winning a Listed race earlier and it's never easy, but he was well on top," Spencer told At The Races.

"He ran in a Group race last time, finishing second to probably a Group One horse (Poet's Word), so we'll try to dodge Group One horses in Group Threes. That's the plan, I guess."

There was a sting in the tail for Spencer, however, as the stewards deemed him guilty of careless riding, handing him a four-day suspension.