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Richard Hughes looks to have another smart prospect on his hands after Bracken's Laugh bolted up in the Woodford Reserve Cardinal Conditions Stakes at Chelmsford on Saturday.

The Richard Hughes-trained runner made a perfect start to his career when winning at Newbury before finishing fifth in the Group 1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud last-time-out.

Aidan O'Brien's Royal Lodge Stakes third Capulet was all the rage in the betting, but Ryan Moore found himself rowing away on the 8/13 market leader turning for home. All the while, Finley Marsh could be spotted travelling kindly on Richard Hughes' 9/1 chance, who displayed a smart turn of foot up the Chelmsford straight before going on to score by a convincing two-and-three-quarter-lengths from the front-running Orne.

Although the Woodford Reserve Cardinal Conditions Stakes is the last leg of the Road To The Kentucky Derby Series, connections are looking ahead to a trip to Chester with the impressive son of Zoffany.

Hughes, who has saddled a remarkable eight winners from his last twenty-one runners, said of the performance: "We earmarked this race a few months ago and I would have been happy to have finished in the first three, but to win it is very satisfying. I didn't know if he was a Guineas horse or a Derby horse, so we've decided to go to Chester for the Dee Stakes next and then look at a race at Royal Ascot."

He added: "He's our best horse so if he hadn't run well, we'd be in trouble, but the team are in good shape and long may it continue."

Winning jockey Finley Marsh will be hoping Bracken's Laugh can help take him to a bigger stage, with the in-form rider seemingly very taken by the performance. "He's a proper horse," said Marsh. "That was a phenomenal performance off a break. He travelled around there great and although a horse came back on me in the straight, he had enough toe to get around him and stretched out impressively. He's always been a good horse and he'll be even better back on grass."