Conduct repaid the patience of connections by putting his injury troubles behind him in a spectacular performance in the Betfred November Handicap at Doncaster.
The six-year-old was having just his sixth start after being plagued with leg problems, but made up for lost time when striding clear of a competitive field under Seb Sanders.
Sent off an 8-1 shot and now trained by William Haggas having been handled by Sir Michael Stoute in his early days, he bounded five lengths clear of Rio's Rosanna, with Open Eagle third and Bohemian Rhapsody fourth.
"He's been very fragile, loves soft ground and has been waiting for this step up in trip," said Haggas. "Sir Michael told us what a good horse he was and the treadmill has been the making of him. He's had a tendon injury three times but, touching a lot of wood, he's been fine with us and he has quality."
Harry Herbert, racing manager for the owners Highclere Thoroughbred Racing, said: "Sir Michael always rated this horse highly and thought he was a Group performer. We thought about retiring him and when he had the leg injury for the third time, we brought him back to Highclere to find him a home.
"Ed Dunlop told me Snow Fairy returned as good as ever after a similar injury and we sent him to a guy in Ireland and it's been a remarkable journey ever since. To win this having been prepared to pension him off is unbelievable - this game throws everything at you."
Jim Goldie's Jack Dexter (100-30 favourite) defied a 6lb penalty in style to record a third course win in the Betfred Goals Galore Wentworth Stakes.
The progressive sprinter was struggling to get a clear run but once he saw daylight, he lengthened for Graham Lee to lead 100 yards out and defeat Highland Colori by three-quarters of a length.
Goldie's son, Jim jnr, said: "He needs cut in the ground, so we won't take him to Dubai, but we'll try to get him ready for the Cammidge here again and hope we get a bit of cut. Then he'll go for the Duke of York and the King's Stand again. We want a wet summer."
Richard Hughes was crowned champion jockey for the second time in a ceremony at Doncaster on the final day of the Fat season after becoming the first rider since Kieren Fallon in 2003 to notch up 200 winners in a campaign, comfortably holding off the title challenge of Ryan Moore. Hughes' father-in-law Richard Hannon claimed his fifth trainers' title while Jason Hart, from Hawick, was named champion apprentice. The champion owners' accolade went to Godolphin for a ninth time.
Hart has had the majority of his mounts for Eric Alston this season, but has also ridden plenty of winners for Keith Dalgleish and Declan Carroll, acculmulating over 50 in the process.
He said: "It was very slow for me at the start of the season, but then things got rolling and everything started falling together. I was very happy to get to 50 winners just before the season finished."
At Kelso, Donald McCain and Jason Maguire again stole the show when landing a 125-1 hat-trick. The pair were on the mark for the third successive Kelso meeting this autumn when The Last Samurai - one of 20 horses McCain trains for St Boswells owner Paul and Claire Rooney - landed the opening Jane Medd 'National Hunt' Novices' Hurdle.
The trio doubled up in the three-mile chase when Kruzhlinin romped home five lengths clear of Maggio and sealed their treble with Swift Arrow in the featured Mayfield Restaurant Handicap Chase.
McCain, whose last seven runners in Scotland have now won after he sent out four winners at Musselburgh's two-day meeting on Thursday and Friday, said: "Jason gave him a great ride and he knows the horse, inside out."
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