JOCKEY Robert Tart enjoyed his biggest success to date when partnering The Black Princess to victory in the Group 2 bet365 Lancashire Oaks at Haydock.

The 24-year-old timed his run to perfection on the John Gosden-trained 3/1 chance to collar the 6/4 favourite Abingdon and take the mile and a half contest by half a length. Ajman Princess was a length away in third, with the winner's stablemate Hertford Dancer fourth.

Tart said: "She did it nicely. She's got a lot of guts and is very game. I was very pleased with her. This is my best day ever, Mr Gosden has given me a Group 3 winner (Cunco, in the Sandown Classic Trial) and now a Group 2 winner.

"I've been part-time with him for two and a half years and he's a gentleman."

Gosden's travelling head lad Tony Proctor said: "He's in the yard every single morning and he's a great lad. There are lots of good jockeys but he's an exceptional horseman as well, which is rare now. He's taking the chances Mr Gosden is giving him."

Of The Black Princess, he said: "She's done nothing wrong since we've had her. She went to France and won there. Then she ran at York and made the running which didn't suit her.

"Mentally, she's been a bit slow at coming to herself. Physically, she's always been there. She's not had many races and looked as good today as we thought she would."

Ballymacoll Stud general manager Peter Reynolds said of runner-up Abingdon: "She ran a super race, she just got caught but she is Group 2-placed now and is a valuable lady. She will be sold in December, sadly, but I hope she will give us more fun before then."

That completed a double for Tart and Gosden after Zenon overcame a scare during the race to run out a cosy winner of the bet365 Handicap.

Tart had an anxious moment when the his mount slipped on the bend, but the combination were soon back on an even keel and were able to put in a winning challenge at the end of the mile-and-three-quarter test.

Dominating had set sail for home, but had no answer to the late flourish of Zenon (7/2), who hit the front in the final half-furlong to score by a length and a half, to back up last month's Chesptow maiden win. Look My Way was a length away in third.

"He had to get into his stride again and he finished the race off very well," said Proctor. We ran him once as a two-year-old and Frankie (Dettori) loved him and he's just progressed."

OLD NEWTON CUP

Dylan Mouth sprang a 25/1 surprise in the bet365 Old Newton Cup as the well-travelled former Italian-trained entire comfortably held fellow top weight Soldier In Action at Haydock.

The latter took the field along into the straight and stuck to his task well when the pack closed in, with Big Country and Fabricate among those who threatened briefly to land the prize.

However, Harry Bentley bided his time on Dylan Mouth and Marco Botti's six-year-old finished best of all to lift the prestigious handicap.

Dylan Mouth pulled clear in the closing stages to score by two and a quarter lengths from Soldier In Action (9/1). Shraaoh (9/2 favourite) was a length and a quarter away in third with Blakeney Point (25/1) half a length back in fourth.

"He is a proper horse. He is rated 104 for a reason, but off top weight it was always a bit of a worry," said Bentley. "I was a bit further back than I wanted to be, but he's done it well. They went a decent gallop up front which suited us and I got a good run through. It all went well."

Trainer Mark Johnston's wife, Deirdre, responsible for Soldier In Action, said: "We've had four seconds in a row for Alan (Spence, owner) now.

"He was carrying the same weight as the winner and when he was headed I thought he'd be swallowed up, but he kept on. He's so genuine, so we're delighted."