Ermine opens winning account

Ermine Sea – placed four times this season including at Royal Ascot – got off the mark with a courageous display in the Gardner Mechanical Services Maiden Stakes at Newbury.

Unplaced on his sole start as a juvenile, John Gosden’s charge looked beaten when thundering down the straight but the 5-4 favourite showed great resolution to get back up and score going away by a length and three-quarters.