THE afternoon began with a game, impressive success for Roger Varian’s 5/1 joint-favourite Barsanti, who defied 9st 10lb in the Sky Bet First Race Special Stakes over a mile and a half. Barsanti graduated to listed class after winning impressively here, but possibly found a mile and six a shade too far last time.

Taking over after Mijhaar had made much of the running, he was strongly pressed by Tony Martin’s Moonmeister on one side and Luca Cumani’s Shakopee on the other but Andrea Atzeni coaxed one final spurt from him and he kept on to beat Shakopee by a neck with Moonmeister only a head behind, the first three well clear.

“He had to battle today,’’ Varian said. “He’ll be back at five.’’

There was little respite for bookmakers as the afternoon wore on, William Haggas’s Fastnet Rock colt Rivet making his Ascot debut experience count in the Convivial Maiden Stakes over seven furlongs.

Starting at 15/8 favourite in the hands of Frankie Dettori, Rivet came home just over three lengths clear of 50/1 chance Contrapposto, fully justifying entries in the Champagne, Middle Park and Dewhurst Stakes.

Favourite backers did especially well in the last, a seemingly impenetrable 17-runner mile handicap, because Tom Dascombe’s Arcanada held the challenge of fellow 5/1 co-favourite Banksea by three-quarters of a length.

With outsider Candelisa taking third, the first three were drawn 2, 7 and 1 - something to bear in mind with the Ebor programme scheduled for today on slightly rain-softened ground.