ALOUNAK (14-1) finally landed a first career success as he won the bet365 Old Newton Cup Handicap at Haydock Park in fine style.
Andrew Balding's six-year-old was winning for the first time in 15 starts having run some big races in defeat in some top-class fields.
The gelded son of 2012 2,000 Guineas and Derby winner Camelot was second to Fanny Logan in the Group Two Hardwicke Stakes at Royal Ascot last season, but hasn't really gone on from that effort.
But he is now down to handicap company and was seventh on his most recent start, back at Royal Ascot in the Duke Of Edinburgh Stakes last month.
But he put all that behind him landing a fine success in the prestigious 1m4f contest on Merseyside, under Sylvestre De Sousa.
Under the three-times champion jockey, Alounak arrived late after travelling well throughout. He came through in the final two furlongs before comfortably going clear and scoring by three lengths in the rain-softened ground from Win O'Clock (15-2).
My Frankel (11-1) was a further neck back in third with Midnights Legacy (10-1) a length-and-a-quarter adrift in fourth.
De Sousa said: "He's done it very well out there.
"He travelled really well throughout the race. I was confident when I went back through his form as I knew he would go on the soft ground.
"I don't think he's at his best in this ground, but he'd run some good races in the past and he'd come down in the handicap, so it was all suitable for him."
