Brad The Brief (7-4) added to trainer Hugo Palmer's good first week at Chester with victory in the Pertemps Network Conditions Stakes at Haydock Park.
Palmer took over at Michael Owen's Manor House stables from Tom Dascombe and has two winners during the 20222 Boodles Chester May Festival on the Roodee this yard for the Cheshire yard, pleasing the former Liverpool FC striker.
And now he has had a first winner at another of the stable's local tracks as Brad The Brief lowered the colours of Archie Watson's Group One winner Glen Shiel (5-4 favourite).
Under David Egan, Brad The Brief was always travelling powerfully as Glen Shiel made the initial running in the six-furlong contest on the rain-softened conditions at Haydock.
And the three-year-old moved to the front with two furlongs to go and despite Glen Shiel rallying, Brad The Brief scored by a comfortable three-and-a-quarter lengths.
Connections are eyeing a trip to Ireland next to try and land a Group Two at the Curragh following his smooth success at Haydock.
Having blown off the cobwebs, runner-up Glen Shiel is likely to head back to Royal Ascot next month, where he was second in the Diamond Jubilee Stakes last season.
Palmer was not at Haydock, but his assistant Colin Gorman said: "We have been waiting for softer conditions since Doncaster really. Just in the middle of this Chester week – it usually rains at Chester doesn't it – so this race panned out well.
"He will probably go to Ireland on the 21st of this month, there is a Group Two at the Curragh as he would be more likely to be getting the ground (in Ireland) at that stage, the back-end of May. We have been waiting for him and luckily we go the soft ground he relishes.
"David said he felt as if the favourite (Glen Shiel) blew up and he was left there on his own. But then he quickened up well, stayed on the line and he said he didn't blow a candle out. He is a very fit and happy horse on that ground especiallly.
"So he is one to look forward to when he has that ease in the ground to help him."
Winning jockey David Egan added: "He is a horse who is fit on his first comeback run and he likes that ease in the ground.
"He was doing it so easy that I felt on Glen Shiel's first run of the year has kind of get tired under Hollie (Doyle) and I was kind of left there. He quickened really well between the two and one (furlong pole). But to the line he was just coasting but he had that much in hand he could do it easily.
"He is a horse who won from two to three he won and has done the same again, so he goes well fresh."
Romeo Brown (20-1) led from start to finish to run out a fine winner of the Pertemps Network Long Distance Handicap Hurdle.
Trained by Grand National winner Sue Smith the eight-year-old had been in good recent form, winning at Kelso in March and finishing third at Cheltenham last month. Both of those were over 2m4f, but Romeo Brown relished the step up in trip to three miles and was given an enterprising front-running ride by conditional jockey Thomas Willmott.
Romeo Brown was bowling along in front and then on the turn for home, he kicked on again as the challengers packed up behind him. He responded to Willmott's urging to run out a comfortable two-and-a-quarter-length winner over Panic Attack (11-2). Proschema (10-1) was a further length back in third with the 4-1 favourite Party Business – who had won at last month's Randox Grand National Festival at Aintree Racecourse – a further six-and-a-half lengths back in fourth.
Winning jockey Willmott, who was having his first winner of the new Jumps season after landing 17 during the last campaign, said: "I tried to ride him the same way as I did at Kelso. It was a step up in trip today but he has good form over three miles. I knew when we got a good start it was a going day.
"The long straight here was a bit of a concern, because I have been on a horse on the other end and caught a horse in the last half-furlong. He is tough and he did that well.
"I ran out of the parade ring to get a good position and it was good we were down the inner. I got an easy lead and I was just trying to fill him up when we passed here on the first circuit. So I got a small breather into him and it worked.
"To be fair to the horse he hasn't half stepped up this season and I am delighted the way he has come on."
Connections also intimated that Romeo Brown may switch to chasing in the autumn.
Tim Easterby's Zimmerman, sent off the well-backed 7-2 favourite, took the opener – the Pertemps Newton Handicap – in good style at Haydock.
Under James Sullivan, the three-year-old gelding finally landed a first career success on his ninth start.
Zimmerman had hinted at potentially breaking his duck having finished second and fourth in his two starts this season, both at Redcar. And he delivered on that promises, relishing the softish conditions on Merseyside to score by two-and-a-quarter lengths from Go Beyond (33-1), with City Streak (11-2) a neck back in third.
Winning jockey Sullivan said: "He is a nice horse and is a improving sort of horse. He ran two nice races the last two times at Redcar. The softer ground seems to suit him and he is a good staying prospect.
"I would think he would be able to step up again (in trip). He certainly wasn't stopping there. He is still pricking his ears a bit, so there should be more to come."
