Esentepe springs Nell Gwyn surprise

Esentepe won the Lanwades Stud Nell Gwyn Stakes at 28-1 for Richard Hannon.

Pat Dobbs took up the running in the closing stages and held on in a tight finish to prevail by a neck from Nayarra (20-1).

Richard Fahey's Lily's Angel (9-1) looked to be coming home strongest of all on the wide outside under Paul Hanagan at one point but had to settle for third in the end.

Given the three-year-old had won just once from 10 previous racecourse starts and finished third in a Kempton conditions race on her seasonal return, her starting price was no real surprise.

Dobbs took up a prominent position in the early stages of the seven-furlong contest and found himself in front when the pacesetting Excelette weakened quickly.

Esentepe soon took a couple of lengths out of the field and those behind were never able to bridge the gap as the filly kept up the gallop to take Group Three honours.

Assistant trainer Richard Hannon-Junior said of the winner: "I wasn't expecting that to be fair but she's a good filly. She isn't in the Guineas but I put her in the Musidora at York and we'll just take her home. There are no plans at this stage."

Fahey said of Lily's Angel: "She's run a cracker. She's just got stuck out on a limb a bit down the middle of the track but Paul was pleased with her and she's come home very well. She's done us proud for a filly that only cost us 8000 Guineas."