Pencarrow celebrated a Group 3 winner in England in the early hours of Sunday morning with Maarek winning the £55,000 Group 3 Chipchase Stakes (1200m) at Newcastle.

Bred by Peter and Philip Vela and New England Stud, Maarek (Pivotal x Ruby Rocket) is trained by David Peter Nagle and claimed his biggest career victory in the Group 3.

Racing towards the back of the field, jockey Graham Lee brought the son of Pivotal up on the rails to challenge race leader Boastful (Clodovil) and under a good ride, powered away from the field inside the final 200 metres to win by two-lengths easing down.

His sixth career win from 20 starts, the Group 3 Chipchase Stakes was Maarek’s first start at black-type level and took his stakes earnings to over £116,000 (NZ$227,000). The five-year-old came into the race after contesting the £125,000 Royal Ascot Wokingham Stakes at his last start.

Maarek has been racing in top form having won four of his last six starts in England and Ireland including victories at the Curragh, Kildare and Newmarket.

The five-year-old is by Chevely Park’s leading sire Pivotal, the sire of 96 stakes winners, and is out of the dual stakes winning Indian Rocket mare Ruby Rocket.

Peter Vela and his wife Pam attended the Royal Ascot meeting this year, where Maarek had his last start, and were guests of Her Majesty The Queen in her Diamond Jubilee year. They were invited to lunch with the Queen at Windsor Castle before taking part in the Royal Carriage procession and spending the day with the Queen in the Royal Box.