Perfect timing as Kelly's Dino wins Old Newton Cup for Karl Burke and Ben Curtis

Who'd have guessed it? Hours after being forced to scratch a filly who never misses a date, Karl Burke hit the jackpot with a handicapper who's been so hard to train he once spent 835 days on the sidelines.

It's only a minor setback that has ruled five-time Group 1 winner Laurens out of next week's Falmouth Stakes and the star filly could well be back before the end of the month.

But it still gave her trainer an enormous boost when Kelly's Dino, a six-year-old who missed the whole of the 2016 and 2017 seasons and has also recently undergone wind surgery, landed the £100,000 bet365 Old Newton Cup under Ben Curtis.

It was a second notable prize this month for the gelding, who was finally awarded the 2018 Rosebery Handicap last week on the disqualification of the winner who failed a dope test.

And there could be even more to come as a penalty for this success earns him a place in next Friday's £120,000 bet365 Trophy at Newmarket, for which he has been cut to 12-1 from 20 with Paddy Power.

"I said to the owner he could go to Kempton for a small race on the all-weather or have a crack at a big pot so we came here," Burke said. "He's been confirmed for Newmarket next week and I think the penalty will get him into that. It's tempting with the prize-money on offer and he does take a quick race.

"He's a lovely horse, he's had two or three major injuries and that's why he doesn't have many miles on the clock."

It was Curtis' biggest victory in Britain this year, who was always in the right place in a competitive 17-runner field and went on over a furlong out to win by a length.

"Ben knows him very well, he's a great jockey and they suit each other," Burke said.

"Ben rode the perfect race, he was in the perfect place. The horse stays well, Ben's been dying to step him up in trip, and when he hit the front he was always going to keep going."

Kelly's Dino (green): Always in the perfect placeCredit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)

Curtis has thought plenty of Kelly's Dino since his remarkable two-year-old debut at Carlisle, where he missed the break and ran green yet still got up for a narrow win.

"He's done that well and he's finally proved us right," the jockey said. "I'm delighted because we've always known he was a nice horse all the way through. His wind was letting him down and we've fixed that.

"He's a horse who travels very strongly in his races and he wasn't doing a whole lot in front so I hope he can go on from there."

For the freshest betting advice, based on latest going and market conditions, don't miss the Live Tipster every afternoon. Just click Raceday Live at racingpost.com or the mobile app