Relentlessly persistent, Stay Alert dealt a crushing blow in the Newmarket William Hill Dahlia Stakes.
Heartache Tonight led from Running Lion on her side of the track, and David Egan was happy to wait it out aboard Hughie Morrison's five-year-old as the six-strong lineup split into two groups.
With half a mile remaining, Running Lion—seeking victory on this card for the second year in a row—moved up alongside Heartache Tonight and easily took the lead. Her jockey, Oisin Murphy, appeared committed to crushing her competitors' hopes as they approached the final quarter mile.
However, the 6-4 favourite's gas tank ran out when they encountered rising ground, and Stay Alert was in a prime position to seize the opportunity, defeating Running Lion and winning by three and a half lengths at odds of 5-1.
Morrison said: “We looked after her as a young horse and tried not to run her on fast ground as she’s quite heavy topped, but she’s always had a serious engine. The family has always stayed so we imagined she’d get a mile and a half, but I’d probably say a mile and a quarter is her perfect trip now. We’ll probably aim pretty high now, we’ll probably look at entering her in the Eclipse and races like that because if it’s soft in Ireland you probably want to go for the Eclipse. On her day she’s a very good horse and you’ve got to look at everything. I’m a great believer that five-year-olds have an advantage over four-year-olds as they must improve.”