ADAM Kirby rode a ‘perfect’ treble for his followers at Ascot on Saturday, writes Dave Wright.

The in-form jockey won the opening race on Spring Loaded and followed up with victories on Cross Counter and then Perfect Hustler in the concluding race.

In the six-furlong £100,000 Bet With Ascot Heritage Handicap, he held up 7/1 shot Spring Loaded towards the back of the 20-runner field before producing a sizzling surge in the final furlong to finish two lengths ahead of Poyle Vinnie (25/1), who grabbed second place by a neck from 11/2 favourite Major Jumbo, who had led for much of the way.

Watched by a crowd of more than 15,500, Kirby also came from the rear of the field in the £50,000 Woodford Reserve Handicap over a mile and a half, bringing the 13/8 favourite Cross Counter, trained by Charlie Appleby, through to lead just over a furlong out and staying on strongly to finish two lengths clear of Berkshire Royal (14/1).

Kirby completed his 230-1 treble in the seven-furlong GL Events UK Handicap on Perfect Hustler (10/1) for Jeremy Noseda, holding off 4/1 favourite Prevent, the mount of Frankie Dettori.

However, Dettori had earlier delighted favourite-backers with a comfortable win on the Owen Burrows-trained Elwazir (11/8) in the Playboy Club London Handicap.

Danny Tudhope completed a double on Michael Bell’s smart newcomer Nuremberg (5/1) in the Kelly Group Novice Auction Stakes and the William Haggas-trained Beshaair (5/2jt fav) in the Trant Engineering Fillies’ Handicap, winning the latter by more than three lengths.

Andrew Balding’s Beat The Bank had finished sixth in the Queen Anne Stakes at the Royal meeting after being denied a clear run, but on his return to Ascot, the four-year-old found a clear path through in the hands of Oisin Murphy to win the Fred Cowley MBE Memorial Summer Mile Stakes.

The 11/4 favourite won a thriller by a neck from Lord Glitters, the mount of Jamie Spencer , who was slapped with a six-day ban for using his whip above the permitted level and without time to respond inside the final furlong.

Ascot’s next big meeting is on July 27-28 with Saturday’s card featuring the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes.

The entries include Sir Michael Stoute’s duo, Crystal Ocean and Poet’s Word, who won the Hardwicke Stakes, over the King George course and distance, and Prince of Wales’s Stakes respectively at the Royal meeting last month.

Stoute has saddled a joint-record five previous winners of the King George in Shergar (1981), Opera House (1993), Golan (2002), Conduit (2009) and Harbinger (2010) and appears intent on adding to his tally.

The Newmarket trainer commented: “They are fine at the moment and the plan is to go to Ascot with both horses.”

Sky Bet have installed Crystal Ocean the 7/4 favourite for the Berkshire course’s midsummer prestige event with Poet’s Word next in the list at 4/1.