Dark Red could be Royal Ascot-bound, ground permitting, after completing a hat-trick in the Gateley PLC Original Legal Thinking Handicap at Chester.
Ed Dunlop's progressive four-year-old followed up his recent victories at Chelmsford and Epsom by coming with a strong run in the short straight to land the spoils.
Pushed out by Silvestre de Sousa, Dark Red (11-2) gained a neck verdict over long-time leader Felix De Vega with Perfect Cracker a length away third.
After this, the assessor is likely to put Dark Red up a few pounds, which would help get him in the Wolferton Handicap.
"This horse has done very well. He's improving, he's not a bad horse and he's won three in a row," said Dunlop, who had won Chester's last race on Wednesday with Red Verdon.
"We knew he needed to go up in the handicap for the Wolferton at Royal Ascot. If it's very fast ground he won't run, but he will not run again before then."
Ian Fleming (9-1) just landed the spoils in the Boodles Diamond Handicap. Andrew Balding's gelding was 7lb wrong at the weights but that was cut to 2lb as apprentice Edward Greatrex claimed his 5lb allowance.
It proved invaluable as Ian Fleming got home by a nose from the pace-setting Above N Beyond after the pair fought out a terrific finish.
Dark Devil was two and a half lengths away in third place. Balding said: "It was wasn't very helpful him being was out of the handicap so it was useful claiming 5lb off him as Edward had won on him last time (at Wolverhampton).
"We always intended to come here, but didn't expect one rated 100 to run. Once we made the decision to come here, we stuck to it.
"He was a bit disappointing last season but we always thought a bit of him. He's taken a bit of time.
"I think we'll look at the Summer Handicap at Goodwood."
Mehmas showed a good turn of foot to finish with a late flourish and make a winning debut in the Betway EBF Stallions Maiden Stakes.
Although slowly away, having got slightly wound up in the stalls before the start of the five-furlong prize, the Richard Hannon-trained two-year-old looked a class above his rivals come the closing stages.
Despite being faced with having to overcome a wide draw from stall nine, the 5-1 shot weaved a successful passage under Frankie Dettori from close to the rear of the field before picking up well in the straight.
Once in the clear the son of Acclamation quickly went into overdrive down the centre of the track, before looking good value for his three-quarters of a length success over the prominently-ridden Madam Dancealot.
Dettori said: "It was a nice performance from a bad draw. He could be a horse for the Woodcote at Epsom on Derby day and then after that maybe a Windsor Castle, we'll see."
