< Northgate dropped down from Group Three company to notch his first victory on turf at the 19th attempt in the feature Her Majesty's Plate at Down Royal.
Joe Murphy's six-year-old, a short head second in the Ulster Derby at the track last year, was travelling much the best going into the closing stages and Pat Smullen sent him on rounding the final turn.
The race was soon over and Northgate (2-1 co-favourite) beat End Of The Affair by eight and a half lengths, ending Vincent Ward's hopes of a boost ahead of Fictional Account's tilt at the Irish St Leger.< Sleepytimegirl was first past the post in the Lunn's Claiming Race, but she lost the prize in the stewards' room after causing interference to Paul Deegan's runner-up Le Rouge Alex (8-1) as she made her challenge.
Declan McDonogh looked to be going nowhere on Sleepytimegirl, but she flew home and then held on by a head despite the jockey losing his whip. However, the damage had already been done and Conor Hoban's mount was awarded the race.
The LK Bennett Nursery produced a thrilling finish and the prize went to Ger Lyons' Mount Meru (9-2), who was wearing blinkers for the first time.
The Keagan Latham-ridden juvenile looked a sitting duck when attacked on both sides in the closing stages, but he stuck to his task to hold off Haseen by half a length, with unlucky favourite Antiquus having nowhere to go.
There was a tight finish to the House Of Fraser EBF Maiden, but the Tracey Collins-trained Bogini (9-4) was always doing enough for Michael Hussey to hold the dead-heaters Jpevie and Red Avis by three-quarters of a length.
Dessie Hughes's Sun Disc (4-1 joint-favourite) won a Down Royal maiden hurdle a fortnight ago and returned to run away with the Derrinstown Stud Apprentice Handicap under Mark Enright.
