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Desert Cop ensured Andrew Balding’s run of good form continued when striking in the William Hill Extra Place Races Handicap at Newmarket on Saturday.

The four-year-old gelding was scoring on turf for the first time in seven starts and bouncing right back to form having finished last of twelve on his reappearance at Kempton.

Sent off a reasonably unfancied 22/1 on the back of that Kempton performance, Desert Cop travelled powerfully in the hands of dual champion jockey Oisin Murphy, before fending off Apollo One (11/1) by a length.

Chairmanoftheboard (11/1) ran on strongly towards the near side to finish third for trainer Jack Channon and the returning to-action Eddy Greatrex.

Murphy said: "He's just come in his coat and the sun on his back now - although it's been both hot and cold for the last few weeks - but he's come alive.

"He's not a horse that's very flashy in the mornings but it was apparent to me after a furlong today he was in form because I felt we went quite fast, and he was tanking through the race. No matter what the conditions are on the Rowley Mile, if you can get on the front end, relax and not overwork then you're often on a horse that will be hard to peg back."