After some near-misses and some frustration, Paul Hanagan rode his first winner of the meeting.
This was when his perfectly-timed run on 7/4 favourite Mahsoob landed the ten-furlong Wolferton Handicap by half a length from Sennockian Star, with Fire Fighting a head third.
"That was down to the tactics," he said. "I knew I wanted to be handy - he won from miles back at York but there is a big long straight there, but here there is a sharp run-in. I know he stays well and once he gets going he is really good. It all went to plan - the only thing was a horse on my outside set him alight a bit at one point, but he has a marvellous temperament and soon settled."
The Dansili four-year-old in now unbeaten in four runs as he has moved up the ladder and holds entries in some of the summer's top middle-distance Group One contests. "He gives the impression he'll stay further than today's trip," added Hanagan. "And he is so laid back and easy to ride. Most of the best horses I've ridden have had that wonderful temperament."
It was a second victory of the week for Sheikh Hamdan, also owner-breeder of the Commonwealth Cup winner Muhaarar, who was ridden by Dane O'Neill as Hanagan finished seventh on Adaay.
"It's been a great week for the team, but tough for me personally up to now," said Hanagan, now in his fourth year with Sheikh Hamdan. "I'd been hitting the crossbar - and there'd be something wrong with me if I didn't feel frustrated in picking the wrong one in the Commonwealth Cup.
"But I was delighted for Dane, don't get me wrong, he works as hard as all of us and deserved it. It's all a great team effort, which is one of the reasons I took the job, to be involved with such a good team."
Mark Johnston saddle both runner-up Sennockian Star and third-placed Fire Fighting behind impressive winner Mahsoob in the Wolferton Handicap.
"It's slightly frustrating not to win but I said beforehand that I was surprised that both horses horses were outsiders," said Johnston. "They just needed to run up to their form. Fire Fighting consistently does that and Sennockian Star won well last time so there was every hope they would do well.
"We've been beaten by a good winner, who is lightly-raced but things didn't go perfectly for either of mine. Both horses need a lead and Sennockian Star hit the front too soon and Fire Fighting had to come wide and was getting there all the time.
"We've had a load of people looking at Fire Fighting for Australia and we might look at planning a campaign based around going there. We could think about the Cox Plate in the run-up to the Melbourne Cup."
