Marine Commando showed a likeable attitude to give Northern raiders Richard Fahey and Paul Hanagan a welcome winner in the Windsor Castle Stakes at Royal Ascot.
Hanagan, currently leading the jockeys' championship, had to be patient on the son of Pastoral Pursuits as the original gap he went for between Excello and Stone Of Folca was closed.
The two-year-old (9-2) showed experience beyond his years to get back into top gear once switched and he did well to hold off the late lunge of Ballydoyle's Petronius Maximus by a neck, with a nose back to Excello.
It was only Hanagan's second Royal winner after the shock 66-1 success of Cosmic Sun in the King George V Stakes last year.
Fahey said: "The two-year-olds look OK this year. His first run was just to get him some experience and he's all speed - we just want to get him to settle. This was the plan really."
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