Massaat, who won on his first appearance for more than a year, and progressive stayer Defoe proved the star acts on Betfred Ladies Day, at Newbury on Saturday.

A sell-out crowd of 23,434 – the biggest crowd at any meeting at Newbury for five years – was on hand to watch a nine-race card and Olly Murs, who delighted his fans with a performance on the Party In The Paddock stage after racing.

Owen Burrows, based locally in Lambourn, recorded the first Group Two success of his career with Massaat, who stormed to victory under Jim Crowley in the £150,000 Betfred Hungerford Stakes over seven furlongs.

The four-year-old, sent off a 12/1 shot, was runner-up in last year’s 2,000 Guineas and belied a 373-day absence as he quickened smartly to readily beat 9/4 favourite Librisa Breeze (Dean Ivory/Robert Winston) by a length and three-quarters.

A delighted Burrows said: “I wasn’t expecting that – what a great surprise. Massaat had been working nicely but I thought he would be rusty and obviously today was seven furlongs. I was just looking to get him back on track but he has won impressively.

“He had a chip removed from a fetlock after his run at Salisbury last year and unfortunately he injured himself while he was recuperating at Shadwell.

“It has been a big team effort to get him back. I must thank Barry and Charlie Hills as they let me work him on the Faringdon Road gallop last week, which I used before the Guineas. It brought him on a lot.

“I was pleased with the way he travelled today. We will get him back home now. I didn’t go too mad looking for his next target as I wanted to see what happened and get today out of the way. Fingers crossed, he will be fine in the morning."

Defoe made an impressive first appearance in Pattern company when taking the Group Three Betfred Geoffrey Freer Stakes over an extended 13 furlongs, a performance that saw the Roger Varian-trained colt cut by bookmakers for the Group One St Leger at Doncaster on September 16. The 13/8 favourite, an impressive winner of the Al Zubarah London Gold Cup Handicap at Newbury earlier this season, scored cosily by three-quarters of a length but had to survive a stewards enquiry after impeding runner-up Wall Of Fire (Hugo Palmer/Josephine Gordon) entering the final furlong.

Hey Gaman bravely made all of the running under Martin Harley to take a thrilling renewal of the £25,500 Listed Denford Stakes over seven furlongs – a juvenile contest that has been won by subsequent Classic winners Rodrigo De Triano, Lammtarra, Haafhd and Just The Judge.

Sent off a 100/30 chance following a five-length success at Newmarket on July 29, the James Tate-trained New Approach colt was all out near the line to see off the late challenge of 9/4 favourite Red Mist (Simon Crisford/Silvestre De Sousa), with a short-head separating the pair on the line.

Squats proved a fitting winner of the £20,000 Betfred TV Ladies Day Handicap when quickening up well to score under Georgia Cox, one of two female jockeys in the seven-furlong contest.

Haggas also provided another female jockey with victory as Mam’selle scored under Carole Bartley to take the closing £9,000 Betfred Ladies Derby Handicap. The 11/8 favourite got the measure of With Pleasure (John Flint/Isobel Williams) near the line as Newmarket-based Haggas registered a 13.25/1 double.

Progressive three-year-old Nathan followed up a recent Bath success with victory in Division 1 of the 10-furlong £8,000 Betfred “Supports Jack Berry House” Handicap. The 9/4 favourite, trained by Alan King, stayed on strongly to prevail by length and a half over Doctor Bartolo (Charlie Hills/Jim Crowley), despite wandering across the course under Fergus Sweeney inside the final furlong.

Sweeney completed a near 17/1 double in Division 2 of the same race as 9/2 chance Capton, trained by Henry Candy, made all of the running for a half-length success over Fast Dancer (Joe Tuite/Edward Greatrex).

Greatrex enjoyed better luck in the 12-furlong £15,000 Betfred Proud To Work With Simpson Group EBF Maiden on board the Saeed bin Suroor-trained Gold Star, with the 2/1 favourite posting a comfortable three-length success.

There was a Swedish-trained winner in the day’s race for Purebred Arabians, the Group Three Royal Cavalry of Oman Clarendon Stakes over five furlongs, as Macallan made every yard to score for Bodil Blomqvist, and jockey Anna Pilroth.