Bryan McMahon continued his fine start to the Flat season when Auchonvillers took the One-In-A-Hundred Racing Challenge Maiden Stakes at Nottingham.
Auchonvillers made it six winners in the last 14 days for the Tamworth trainer despite being described as 'still a bit weak' by the trainer's son Edward after coming home the two-length winner under Kevin Darley.
The 6-1 chance had made most but there was still plenty in the locker close home to withstand the challenge of Tenacious Melody and 13-8 favourite Explode who finished second and third respectively.
'When Kevin asked him for his effort he seemed to have his feet in two counties,' said McMahon junior. 'But he picked up and stayed on well.
'He's still a little bit weak and maybe the ground was against him also.'
Reflecting on the yard's fine beginning to the campaign McMahon said: 'We've got them all straight which you've got to do to make a good start.'
Forty Forte has been a consistent performer on the all-weather for trainer Karl Burke and the four-year-old transferred that form to turf on his return to the surface with an all-the-way success in the Tote Trifecta 1-2-3 Stakes (Showcase Handicap).
Jockey Neil Callan always had a little in hand despite blazing the trail and, though his mount wandered a little close home, he managed to hold off the strong challenge of Spring Pursuit by a head with Mantusis a further length and a quarter back in third.
'We're delighted with that,' said Burke. 'We didn't want to blitz him out like we do on the all-weather because you just can't do that on grass.
'Neil had plenty in hand so went on to pinch a couple of lengths off the bend and it worked although we were running pretty much on empty in the final half furlong,' he admitted.
Lago Di Levico (13-2) got Alan Jarvis's day off to a good start when landing the opening 'Welcome Back For 2000' Selling Stakes.
But it was a close run thing at the end of the mile as the three-year-old, ridden by Willie Ryan, just held off the challenge of the fast-finishing Bondi Bay by a short head with the 13-8 favourite Princess Victoria a further thee lengths back in third.
The winner had finished down the field on his only outing at Lingfield last season.
'We thought he'd gone to the front much too soon but he held on well,' said Jarvis.
'After he ran at Lingfield he came back and sweated up on the gallops. We discovered he had a hairline fracture of the cannonbone so we put him away until this season.'
Jarvis looked to have completed a double when James Dee featured in a photo finish for the Centenary Club Annual Membership Handicap with the Michael Dods-trained Bundy.
However, much to the surprise of the sparse crowd, the print showed Bundy and Tony Clark had just got up for a short-head victory.
Malton trainer Tim Easterby got his turf season off the mark when the Paul Fessey-ridden Tondyne was a surprise 25-1 victor over 4-1 favourite Paddywack in the 'Try Race Sponsorship' at Nottingham Handicap Stakes, winning by three lengths.
