Dark Red could be Royal Ascot-bound after completing a hat-trick in the Gateley PLC Original Legal Thinking Handicap at Chester.
Ed Dunlop's progressive four-year-old followed up his recent victories at Chelmsford and Epsom by coming with a strong run in the short straight to land the spoils.
Pushed out by Silvestre de Sousa, Dark Red (11-2) gained a neck verdict over long-time leader Felix De Vega, with Perfect Cracker a length away third.
After this, the assessor is likely to put Dark Red up a few pounds, which would help get him in the Wolferton Handicap.
"This horse has done very well. He's improving, he's not a bad horse and he's won three in a row," said Dunlop, who won Chester's last race on Wednesday with Red Verdon.
"We knew he needed to go up in the handicap for the Wolferton at Royal Ascot.
"If it's very fast ground he won't run, but he will not run again before then."