FIRST ISLAND laid early claim on the year's miling crown by landing the Juddmonte Lockinge Stakes at Newbury yesterday. Last year's Sussex Stakes winner proved he will be a match for anyone in his division with the defeat of Ali Royal to clinch his second Group One success.

And the versatile five year old, equally adept over a mile and a quarter, has a host of future targets, among them the Eclipse, Sussex, Queen Elizabeth II and Champion Stakes.

First Island, whose number one draw from stalls placed in the centre had concerned connections, made light of the problem to tackle Ali Royal a furlong out and score by a length and a half.

It completed a memorable week for Michael Hills, who had ridden his 1,000th winner at York on Tuesday.

Ali Royal ran particularly well to make nearly all the running, pulling five lengths clear of Even Top after travelling an extra mile before the start.

Boiling over in the preliminaries, he took Kieren Fallon on the back stretch course instead of heading down the straight to the mile start.

But Fallon, who was interviewed by the stewards, explained: "He got stewed up so I let him take me down the back straight to get settled. It was better to be away from the others to relax him."

Fallon enjoyed better reward when Yashmak ran away with the Vodafone Group Fillies Trial to advance her own Oaks claims.

She was cut from 20 to 1 to 8 to with Coral, 5 to 1 with Ladbrokes and 4 to 1 with the Tote for the fillies' classic after she beat Tempting Prospect by nine lengths.

. David Loder's Abou Zouz is likely to make his reappearance in the Lexus Irish 2,000 Guineas at the Curragh a week tomorrow after pleasing his connections in a gallop after racing at Newmarket yesterday.