Soulcombe turned the Sky Bet Melrose Handicap at York into a procession under Hollie Doyle.

Slowly away, as he usually is, the William Haggas-trained three-year-old only made his handicap debut in June off a lowly mark of 68.

He went on to follow up off 6lb higher at Ascot but was beaten at Goodwood last time out when catching the eye behind Secret State.

Sent off the 3-1 favourite, Doyle began to make progress with two furlongs to run but the prolific winner Caius Chorister had the rest of the field on the stretch.

Had it not been for the well handicapped winner, David Menuisier’s filly would have won for the sixth time in a row but Soulcombe could have scored by double the four and a quarter lengths that he did if Doyle had so wanted. Adjuvant was third.

The winner was a relatively rare ride for Doyle off Haggas, who employs her husband Tom Marquand as his stable jockey.

“He’s got lots of talent but he’s got a few quirks, he should have won at Goodwood but he was so far back, though he finished well,” said Haggas.

“I haven’t done a lot with him between races, he’s just been quietly away. He’s only won off 83, he might win off a bit more but whether he’ll win a Stakes race, I don’t know.

“He’s well bred (by Frankel out of Group One-winner Ribbons), when they’re well bred and they stay and they get their confidence, you never know what might happen.”

Kinross too good in City of York Stakes

Frankie Dettori was at his best on the Knavesmire as Kinross came with a late burst to win the City Of York Stakes for in-form Ralph Beckett.

The five-year-old had advertised his well-being when going down by a neck to Sandrine at Goodwood in the Lennox Stakes, but the tables were easily turned in this Group Two contest.

Dettori was motionless as he tracked the pace set by Art Power, who was quickly challenged by Pogo and Sandrine approaching the final furlong.

Yet once Kinross was given a inch of rein, Dettori barely had to move a muscle to persuade his mount to go clear. The 5-1 chance had a length and quarter to spare at the line from Pogo, with Sandrine a length and a half further down in third.

Beckett said: “He ought to have won the Lennox, that’s a matter of opinion though. We thought this race had really set up well for him and so it proved.

“As he’s got older he’s got hardier, he was quite fragile as a young horse, he didn’t really come to maturity until he was gelded and then everything started to work out from there.

“He’s definitely not ground dependent any more and that’s great, we minded him last year and it worked out for us. We haven’t had so many choices this year, he was always going to win from halfway.

“I’m delighted, he’s a very fun horse to have. He might go to the Park Stakes, I’d drop him back to six in the Haydock Park sprint if it came up soft but he’ll definitely go to the Foret all being well.”