'You get plenty of testing times' - Purple Gown ends Adam Nicol's 438-day wait for a Flat winner

This time last year Adam Nicol was preparing Wise Eagle for the Gold Cup at Royal Ascot, but 12 months on he was just glad to be ending a 438-day wait for a Flat winner after Purple Gown obliged in the 1m3f handicap.

Purple Gown was campaigned over hurdles during the winter but made light of a 116-day break to record just her second success after getting the better of last year's race winner Spanish Hustle.

Nicol, whose last winner on the Flat came when Wise Eagle landed the Queen's Cup at Musselburgh in April last year, told Racing TV: "Jennie [partner] and the girls try really hard at home and like every yard you get plenty of testing times.

"We've just gone through a period where some horses haven't been good enough to win novice hurdles and a few others are just too high in the handicap, and we've had a few niggly problems with the handicappers who are more than capable of winning. We're getting there, though, and that's a good start."

Brilliant Burke

Jungle Drums fluffed his lines at the gates but came home strongest of all to make a winning debut in the 5f maiden and kickstart a 65-1 across-the-card juvenile double for Karl Burke, whose Leovanni claimed the Queen Mary Stakes at Royal Ascot.

Jungle Drums (left) comes out on top in a five-way finish in the 5f maidenCredit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)

Oisin Orr found himself five lengths adrift of the field after Jungle Drums was slowly away but crept into contention before producing a powerful finish to get the better of outsider Joshuas Dream.

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