John Best just lost out with the big-priced Kingsgate Native in the Windsor Castle Stakes 12 months previously but made amends in some style as 100-1 shot Flashmans Papers did the business, with stablemate Mullionmileanhour third.

The winner could also run tomorrow in the Norfolk.

Starting prices of 22-1, 8-1, 20-1 and 100-1 meant the bookies had by far the better of the first day. With the best-backed horse of the day, Fleeting Spirit, only third, the bookies head into day two full of confidence.

“Fleeting Spirit getting beaten was a monster result for us,” said Damian Walker of totesport. 

“She would have been one of the worst results of the week for us if she had gone in what with all the ante-post money and the weight of cash that forced her into 15-8 favourite.”

Hills’ PR supremo David Hood reported a similar story.

“We’ve had a great day, only the small punters have backed the big-price winners,” said David Hood. 

“It’s amazing that Haradasun was allowed to go off at 5-1 considering the amount of money we saw for him before the Lockinge in our ante-post market. Punters lost faith in him.”

“We laid Finsceal Beo to lose a lot in the same race and seeing her get beaten was a big fillip.”