EDGY sprinter Rambling Bear shrugged off his nerves to seize his first Group race victory at Goodwood yesterday. He produced a power-packed late burst under Ray Cochrane to foil Hever Golf Rose's attempt to secure the Group Three King George Stakes for the second year in a row.

A one-length victory was reward for trainer Michael Blanshard's careful planning with the three-year-old. He had left it as late possible to saddle up Rambling Bear and send him to the post.

"He's a highly-strung individual and it was part of the plan that we should leave it as late as we could," said Blanshard, whose only previous Group-race success came with Lemhill in the 1980s.

Blanshard is convinced Rambling Bear can progress further and has already pencilled in the Haydock Park Sprint Trophy and Prix de l'Abbnye as end-of-season targets.

St Mawes earned another crack at a Classic after helping restore the form of the Derby with victory in the Westminster Taxi Insurance Gordon Stakes.

The Derby 17th is St Legerbound after snatching the Group Three prize from Chief Contender and Storm Trooper, the only other Epsom runners competing in the race.

The quality of this year's Derby has been thrown into doubt by the consistent failure of its leading lights to underline the form in subsequent races.

Both runner-up Dushyantor band third Shantou have suffered humiliating defeats and until yesterday Chief Contender, ninth at Epsom, was the only runner to go on to win.

But, following Shaamit's third in the King George, yesterday's victory by the blinkered-first-time St Mawes provided the shot in the arm the race needed.

With Kevin Darley deputising for the injured Willie Carson, St Mawes swooped on the outside to win by a head and a neck with Mons finishing half a length back in fourth.

"He got jarred up at Epsom in a rough race and for his first time back he has come home well," said trainer John Dunlop. "The blinkers were to make him concentrate."

A big ante-post punt on Silver Groom in the William Hill Cup came unstuck when Reg Akehurst's gelding was pipped a neck by Grand Selection.

Silver Groom, the 4 to 1 favourite and winner of the race 12 months ago, had looked sure to win when sweeping to the front two furlongs out. But Grand Selection, well ridden by Michael Fenton, produced a late charge to lead near the line.