Royal Dress produced a taking performance to land the Listed Weatherbys Hamilton Pipalong Stakes at Pontefract on Wednesday.

A winner of a Group 3 at the Curragh last season, James Tate's mare returned to action with a third-place finish behind See The Fire in the Middleton Stakes at York before coming hone fourth in the Princess Elizabeth Stakes at Epsom on Derby day.

Returned to Listed company, the five-year-old daughter of Night Of Thunder travelled strongly under Clifford Lee, who angled his mount out wide before cruising into contention down the centre of the track.

Cheshire Dancer did her best to keep tabs on Royal Dress inside the final furlong, but in all truth, she never looked like getting on terms with the eventual winner, who stretched clear to score by a commanding three and a quarter lengths.

Speaking on Racing TV, James Tate said: "We reinvented her last year as a mile/mile and one (furlong) filly with a hood, and I just felt after her first two runs back maybe we didn't need the hood anymore; I think that really helped her in the last furlong or two.

"Cliff is a really good jockey, we always do really well together, and he gave her a great ride. He made all the right decisions, to take her back a little bit early because they were going a strong pace, to angle out wide rather than riding for luck because he felt he was on the best horse in the race, and we enjoyed the last furlong when he had a cheeky look round!"

Paddy Power cut the winner to 16/1 (from 25s) for the Nassau Stakes at Goodwood on July 31, with Tate seemingly tempted by the proposition of Group 1 company.

He added: "Do we try to win a Group 2 or a Group 3, or do we try to go for an each-way run in one of the big races and say we finish in the first three that would be worth it for value, because she's obviously a valuable, well-bred broodmare.

"I think we'll just take each race as it comes and see how she is."