Fallon back to his best with treble

It is nearly a year since the former champion resumed riding after an 18-month ban for testing positive for a banned substance and he will have hoped for better in 2010 than results so far.

But as he has shown many times before, Fallon raises his game when underestimated and his never-say-die attitude was epitomised as he brought the James Fanshawe-trained Alsace Lorraine home in front in the European Breeders' Fund Upavon Fillies' Stakes.

The 11-8 favourite had the finest form on offer from her fourth place behind Strawberrydaiquiri and stablemate Spacious in the Windsor Forest Stakes at Royal Ascot, but she needs to be restrained in her races and looked in all sorts of trouble with a couple of furlongs to run.

Fallon was hemmed in on the fence but when the false rail dropped away, he galvanised Alsace Lorraine to reach the front when it mattered, just two necks in front of Gallic Star and Mudaaraah. "She and Spacious are the apples of my eye and I'm so pleased for her owner Craig Bennett, as she has got some proper black type now," said trainer Fanshawe.

"She's in a couple of Group races in Ireland (the Dance Design and the Blandford Stakes] and she might go for one of those. Spacious will probably run in the Atalanta Stakes at Sandown a week on Saturday. She's something else at home but when Alsace Lorraine is on fire, there's not much between them."

Sir Michael Stoute snapped up Fallon to replace the injured Ryan Moore for a win on Mr Irons (9-2) in the Goldring Security Services Pembroke Cup.

The first leg of the treble required the full Fallon drive too as he got 5-2 favourite Orientalist up half a length in front of Shewalksinbeauty in the Stevens Garner Ltd Nursery.

After the race, trainer Eve Johnson Houghton said: "He's a really tough little competitor and the perfect syndicate horse as he always runs his race. He and Kieren were the perfect combination."

Richard Hughes earlier rode Richard Hannon's Big Issue, sent off the 1-4 favourite for the EBF Molson Coors Maiden Stakes, to a two-length dismissal of Fists And Stones in which he barely seemed to move a muscle.

"He's a nice horse, we hope," said Hannon. "He shouldn't have got beaten at Goodwood. He ran a bit green and Hughesie went to the outside and if he had gone the inside he would have won. He has no fancy entries, as yet."

There was a clear-cut win for Brendan Duke's Bramalea (15-2) in the Champagne Joseph Perrier Handicap.

"The rain was important and hopefully he'll run again at Bath on Sunday," said Duke.

James Rogers made just about all on Foxtrot Alpha (4-1) in the Axminster Carpets Racing Excellence Apprentice Handicap.