RACING: Kevin Darley kept a cool head as he put Plan C into operation to help Attraction maintain her unbeaten record with a clear-cut win at Newmarket yesterday.

The 4 to 7 favourite was a popular banker for many punters on the first day of the July meeting and despite encountering early trouble in running, she did not disappoint.

Switched to the far rail when a gap appeared with over a furlong to run in the Chippenham Lodge Stud Cherry Hinton Stakes, Attraction showed a remarkable burst of acceleration to go clear of her rivals in a matter of strides.

With Darley keeping the filly up to her work, they passed the post five lengths clear of nearest pursuer Pearl Grey, with Birthday Suit a further length away in third place.

Attraction's trainer Mark Johnston is no stranger to big-race success, not least with this filly, who was taking her record to five wins from five runs.

But even Johnston was happy to admit that Attraction is something special.

"I've been lucky enough to train some very good horses," he said. "When I took Mister Baileys to the Guineas I really thought that he would win and that we had been underestimated.

"I felt like that again today. I expected her to win as much as I have ever expected one of mine to win. Nothing but an easy win would have been good enough.

"There is nothing in Europe in her peer group who has done what she has done so far this season.

"She is the best two-year-old I have trained and would probably be the best two-year-old that many people have ever trained.

"We were thinking about the Nunthorpe for her before today but now she has fully proven herself over six furlongs it opens our options up."

Johnston has the option now of either tackling older and more-experienced rivals, or sticking to her own age group and sex.

But he insisted that the possibility of the former does not frighten him.

"She was more than a second quicker than the colts at Ascot and if anything it should be the others who are frightened of her," he said.