Jean-Pierre Guillambert came in for a cracking spare ride on the victor, with Steve Drowne – earlier turned over aboard odds-on shot Counting House – stepping down as he was still feeling the effects of a last-race tumble on Friday’s card.

After cheering home his 5-1 winner, Smart said: “He’s a nice horse and I’ve only had him for around five weeks.

“He’ll keep on improving and he was as green as grass in front today.

“I’ll see what the owner (Sheikh Rashid Bin Mohammed) wants to do, but we could well wait for a turf campaign now.”

Drowne’s fortunes took a further downturn when he missed another winner as Jord (7-1) made just about all the running in the hands of Andrew Elliott to secure the concluding pontins.com Handicap.

The Salwick Flyer (9-2) earlier finished with a wet sail to grab a last-gasp victory in division one of the Go Pontin’s Handicap.

Phillip Makin did not look entirely happy at any stage of the race, but his mount found his stride late in the day to inflict a head defeat on Shadow Jumper.

Makin said: “Off the home turn I thought we were just playing for place money with the way the leader was going.

“But he picked up really well and I knew we would get up from the furlong pole.”

Haroldini landed odds of 3-1 in the second division when proving far too good for his rivals.

The success provided Paul Mulrennan with some compensation after he was earlier hit with a one-day suspension (December 26) for excessive use of the whip.

Dale Gibson was handed an identical ban after committing the same offence in a different race, while Hayley Turner will miss a total of three days (December 26-28).

However, she was also on the scoresheet courtesy of Ridgeway Jazz, who took the Play Golf Come Racing Nursery by the narrowest of margins.

Sent off at 10-1, the filly was gaining her first win in the one-mile handicap, after which Turner said: “I was tracking the favourite but that one was beaten soon after we turned in.

“She’s a tough little thing and she stuck at it for me.”

There were no claims for any of the runners in the Pontin’s Book Early Claiming Stakes, which went the way of 7-1 chance Shaydreambeliever.

Having got the job done by a neck, winning jockey Tony Hamilton said: “He wasn’t doing much in front. He was pricking his ears with me, but he was pretty tough.”

Chris Catlin completed a 12-1 double when Victory Quest stayed on dourly to justify favouritism at odds of 9-4 in the one-mile-six-furlong Mark McKay 21st Birthday Handicap.

That brace was initiated when 3-1 chance Maslak got off the mark at the 16th attempt in the Pontin’s Book Early And Save Maiden Stakes.

Of his half-length scorer, trainer Peter Hiatt said: “He was just idling in front and he’s a nice horse with plenty of ability, but it’s just not easy getting his head in front.

“He’s deserved a race but he doesn’t pick up too well so this surface suits him well – we’ll probably come back here.”