Veteran trainer Dennis Lee’s Roy Rogers was rightly installed the odds-on favourite and made his experience and superior pace speak in no uncertain terms by being a clear leader throughout, giving leading reinsman Christopher Mamdeen the perfect start with eight rides booked on the day.

Ante-post and odds-on favourite Big Black Nation failed an inspection by the race day vet and left Mamdeen without a chance for a quick double in the second during which Unbreakable, appearing in race number 86 for him duly, delivered his 20th career victory.

Crucial Appeal, well down in class, being the odds-on favourite provided the most disappointing moment of the afternoon for the form players. His second-place finish behind Axel Rod in the third to be followed odds-on favourite Graydon’s unplaced finish in the fourth left most exotic wagers busted.

The machine-like efficiency with which Atlantic Blue won the fourth to remain undefeated after three starts, this time by seven lengths, is a credit to trainer Fitznahum Williams’ perseverance.

Race five gave a sense of déjà vu, as the improving sprinter Fly First Class, similar to Roy Rodgers in the first, was always clear, with Mamdeen doing very little to return to the winners’ enclosure again.

After 22 unsuccessful attempts against vastly superior opponents, relief came for the USA-bred Dyna’s Pride in a field where the conditions of entry were overwhelmingly in her favour to win the sixth by five lengths.

The seventh presented Mamdeen with an opportunity to demonstrate his bravery and athletic ability. Riding with the saddle having slipped well out of position soon after the start, he still managed to prevail with former champion sprinter, the aging Poker Star, in a hugely competitive three-way driving finish to give this potential champion jockey his third and final win of the day.

El Gringo made all the running to score convincingly in the eighth to perform his early promise, while Ameth Robles’ challenge for a major slice of the purse with favourite Sandori in the ninth was only achieved in the final stride.

Dysfunctional was held up down the backstretch by veteran Oneil Mullings for a successful challenge for the lead approaching the distance, and under Mullings’ smooth guidance the gelding returned to the winners’ enclosure after a near 10-month absence. The previous occasion was September 2018.

Fitznahum Williams takes the Training Feat Award for his work with four-year-old Atlantic Blue, who only commenced his career early in May and is showing progressive, undefeated form. Atlantic Blue’s seven-length triumph is easily the Best Winning Gallop, as that margin of victory could have been significantly greater. Christopher Mamdeen gets another Jockeyship Award for overcoming the challenge of riding almost the entire distance with a slipped saddle to win the seventh with Poker Star.