Dancing Gemini confirmed his glowing reputation as one of Britian’s exciting milers with an emphatic success in the feature race of the day the Bet365 Mile Group Two over a mile on Sandown’s opening day of their flat season.

Runner-up in the French 2,000 Guineas last year, the four-year-old came with a strong late run under Rossa Ryan to score by a length-and-three-quarters from the David Menuisier-trained Tamfana.

The four-year-old emulated one of last season's stars Charyn by following up his Doncaster Mile victory at Sandown.

Trainer Roger Teal is now looking for Group One glory with the horse. Teal said: “We always thought he could do what he has done and that is why we were pitching him in all the Group races last year.

“Unfortunately, it was such a wet summer last year and we never got a chance. Everyone kept labelling him a soft ground horse but he’s not a soft ground horse.

“I was delighted to see him win like that. I know some horses will improve but Mr Fabre’s horse (Alcantor, fourth) was fit and he’s no mug – he was third behind us in the French Guineas when we were runner-up. Haatem is also a serious horse.

“The Lockinge and the Prix d’Ispahan are the options now. We’ve got to get him a Group One and we’ll do what is best for him, so it’s not decided yet. We’ll see how the dust settles.”

Ryan doubled up on the day after steering Tattycoram to victory in the 1m 2f wild card fillies’ novice stakes, and in so doing earned the right for an entry into next month’s Betfred Oaks.

Successful trainer Ralph Beckett said: “She was always a filly we liked, a proper model and as good a homebred as you’d come across.

“I’d say last year she was a bit fiery at the gates and we were just trying to stay on the right side of her.

“She had a good reintroduction at Yarmouth and I thought it was a good effort.

“I’d say we’ll play our cards now on how she is in the coming weeks. I wouldn’t rule out the Oaks entry she now has at all and whatever we do will be with her best interests in mind rather than those of her trainer or her owner.

“I’d love to see her at Epsom but that will depend on how she is over the next four or five weeks. We could have a look at Lingfield perhaps.”

Beckett bagged a double on the card after Sing Us A Song won the 1m 2f handicap by two-and-a-quarter lengths after making all the running.

Aidan O’Brien maintained his impressive strike rate at the course by saddling his fourth winner from the past eight runners when Swagman took the honours in the Bet365 Classic Trial.

The son of Wootton Bassett, who is entered in the Irish 2,000 Guineas but not the Betfred Derby, beat the Andrew Balding-trained favourite Windlord by three-quarters of a length. It was his first start since July, when he was beaten a length-and-a-half in a Leopardstown Group Three.

Jockey Ryan Moore said: “He has done well from two to three and when I got on him in the paddock I thought he had got stronger.”

By Peter Moore