Jamie Spencer left it late on Buckstay, but came through to seal victory in the totescoop6 Challenge Cup on day two of the Autumn Racing Weekend & Ascot CAMRA Beer Festival here at Ascot.

Having finished fifth in the Ayr Gold Cup this year, he took the step up in trip in his stride and came out on top in a tight finish to the ultra-competitive seven-furlong handicap.

Spencer settled the Peter Chapple-Hyam-trained Buckstay just off the pace in sixth position throughout much of the race and looked momentarily trapped before a gap finally appeared.

Gabriel's Lad poached a two-length lead approaching the final half-furlong, but Spencer and Buckstay gradually reeled in Oisin Murphy's mount and took the short-head verdict in a thrilling finish.

Empire Storm, who made much of the running, stuck on bravely and was two and a half lengths away in third. Mr Win, who was bidding to follow up last week's win at Newmarket, was a length and a half further back in fourth.

Spencer said: "It worked out well, but I was a bit tight for room about two furlongs out - it was a tight gap - but he's a brave horse and an experienced horse, and he found his way through in the end."

Alex Cole, racing manager to winning owner Fitri Hay, quipped: "Jamie gave us the standard heart attack.

"The horse stops when he gets to the front, that's why we put cheekpieces on him. The horse owes us nothing and he's been extremely consistent.It helps that Jamie is riding with a lot of confidence."

The result was bittersweet for Gabriel's Lad's trainer Denis Coakley, who said: "You have to be happy, although you are never happy when you are beaten. We've just got done on the line, but we will come back here for the Balmoral Handicap in two weeks' time.

"He has an extra furlong to go. We don't know if he'll stay because he's never tried a mile before, but we hope he will."

No trainer is in hotter form than James Fanshawe at present and the rapidly-improving Star Storm handed the Newmarket yard its sixth winner from the last seven runners saddled when taking the Group Three Gigaset Cumberland Lodge Stakes at Ascot.

Romsdal, who was placed in last year's Derby and St Leger before finishing third in this season's King George, set a stiff gallop in the mile-and-a-half Group Three contest and looked to have most of the eight-strong field off the bridle when turning for home.

At that stage Tom Queally was second-last aboard Star Storm (7/2 joint-favourite) and had plenty of ground to make up to complete a hat-trick, having followed up his Haydock maiden win with another in a four-runner Yarmouth handicap two weeks ago.

But as Romsdal came to the end of his tether approaching the two-furlong furlong marker, nothing was travelling better than Star Storm and he swept up the outside before lengthening to a widening two-and-three-quarter-length success.

The winner's stablemate Missed Call stayed on nicely, despite being tightened up when Star Storm went by, to finish second, with Canadian Grade One winner Hillstar, the other joint-favourite, returning to something like his best form, staying on to be third, a further two lengths back.

Queally said he felt that he had given the winner plenty to do, but that there should be more to come from the son of Sea The Stars.

He said: "It was not the plan to sit out the back, but they went very fast. I cut corners turning in, and I thought it was either going to work or it is not - and it did. He has always been a talented horse, especially at home.

"He's a bit enigmatic really and we've just struggled to get to the bottom of him but he's just a very slow learner. The penny is dropping. If he can keep on improving at the rate he is, he could be a very nice horse."

Malton trainer Richard Fahey continued his blistering form when July Cup third Eastern Impact gained his third win of the season in a pulsating finish to the six-furlong John Guest Bengough Stakes.

Eastern Impact, a winner of a Listed event on his penultimate run at Chester, found the competition too hot in the Betfred Sprint Cup at Haydock a month ago, but bounced back in style to give jockey Jack Garritty his first Group Three winner.

Eastern Impact (9/2) led for the first furlong and was always up with a decent pace, which Zanetto took up until the two-furlong marker, when Garritty asked for more.

The four-year-old responded but looked a sitting duck when the big white face of 4/1 favourite Naadirr came out of the pack to throw down a strong challenge.

However after a protracted duel in the final furlong, Eastern Impact showed guts galore to hold on by a neck, with Polybius staying on stoutly for third, half a length further back.

Fahey said: "He is a very genuine horse. Probably more world-tough and the second maybe is not as tough as we are. He looked to be travelling better, but luckily he battled and did everything right. Jack gave him a peach of a ride.

"It's a big day for him, and he's not far from riding out his claim, but we couldn't use it today.