Connect joins the dots to win the Investec Private Banking Handicap Stakes
Connect showed a smart turn of foot to win the Investec Private Banking Handicap at Epsom.
With Friday's winners using a faster strip of ground on the near-side rail, there was a difference of opinion as to where the best ground was some 24 hours on.
Poet's Prince went all the way over to the near rail, while several stayed in the middle, but Adam Kirby stuck to the far rail and it paid dividends.
Connect (12-1) had finished last in both his races this season, but Clive Cox fitted the hood for the first time and it made all the difference as he beat Court House by a length and a half.
Cox said: "He didn't settle at all at Newbury and the ground was too quick and he pulled far too hard.
"The hood was an experiment, but with the atmosphere you get on Derby day I'm glad we put it on and it made a huge difference. Adam was able to get his hands on his neck early
"To be honest Alan Spence (owner) deserves all the credit, we've not had much rain in Lambourn, but he lives in Esher and told me it was pouring down here as he was walking his dog and got soaked, so he told us to enter for Epsom.
"He won a Listed race at two and has always been pretty tidy. If he relaxes we'll see the best of him, but we'll take it a step at a time."