Ralph Beckett’s purple patch continued as State Occasion (6/1) proved she was far too strong for her rivals by running out a decisive winner of the Listed Upavon Fillies' Stakes at Salisbury.

A progressive four-year-old last season, State Occasion was having just her second start of the 2024 campaign after finishing fourth behind Free Wind in the Group 2 Middleton Fillies' Stakes at York in May.

The two Roger Varian-trained runners Zenga and Ameynah took the field along with last year's winner Rousay opting to chart a wider trip tracking the pair in third. A repeat success briefly looked as though it could be on the cards for Richard Hannon's Rousay as she struck the front with two furlongs to travel. However, the eye was always drawn to State Occasion in behind as Rossa Ryan began to move his mount into contention with minimal effort. Ralph Beckett's charge soon took command entering the final furlong and quickened up in smart style for a commanding three-and three-quarter length victory.

John and Thady Gosden's emphatic Pretty Polly Stakes winner Running Lion was all the rage in the betting to get back to winning ways, but the 6/4 market leader could never quite get on terms with the runaway winner despite travelling kindly.

40/1 chance Makeinmedoit stayed on well from off the pace to grab third.

Ralph Beckett was saddling his nineteenth winner in the last fortnight.

Speaking to Racing TV's Tom Stanley, he said: "She kept winning valuable fillies handicaps last year and then we went to Dundalk where she got drawn wide and missed the break. You run quickly into the bend there over ten [furlongs] so that didn't work and then I ran her probably one run too many at the backend."

"She ran well in the Middleton [York] and then she was just off-colour for a while after that and then it's just rained, and she wants fast ground. It's as simple as that she hasn't had any major issues it's just been wet."