In an exciting renewal of the bet365 Wood Ditton Maiden Stakes at Newmarket, the dominant First Conquest narrowly defeated the bright Lead Artist.
Many elite athletes have won the one-mile race for unraced three-year-olds over the years, including Passenger, who finished third in the Dante and finished first in the Derby a year ago, who made his winning debut for Sir Michael Stoute.
First Conquest, which represented the formidable pairing of Charlie Appleby and William Buick, was a 4-1 favourite for this year's renewal and, having dominated the early going, had most of his rivals having difficulty coming out of the dip.
Lead Artist and Earl of Rochester, two Dubawi sons trained by John and Thady Gosden, emerged as the biggest threat in the Juddmonte silks and put in a challenge, but First Conquest fought back to win by only a few points.
This year's Wood Ditton winner, a gelding, has more modest campaigning goals for Appleby, rather than Classic ambitions.
He said: “He’s been schooled up there at home and is from a family we have known. He worked with a nicer horse that ran well earlier in the week as well so we were confident, barring greenness. He hit the lids and was very professional throughout. At the moment I hope he will be a nice, progressive handicapper and stepping up in trip in time he can be a proper mile-and-a-quarter type of horse. The thing about the Wood Ditton is years ago when you’d win it you would have to throw them in at the deep end, but now with the change of the programme we can give these horses a chance and let them develop in their own manner.”