Mill Stream is on course for one final outing of the season in the Qipco British Champions Sprint Stakes at Ascot later this month.

The Jane Chapple-Hyam-trained three-year-old gave a glimpse of his ability when fourth behind Chaldean in the Acomb Stakes as a juvenile, but has thrived over sprinting distances this term and compiled a Deauville double in the summer as he stepped out of the handicap ranks into Pattern company.

He was enterprisingly supplemented by connections for the Betfair Sprint Cup last month and the thriving speedster was not disgraced finishing sixth, beaten just three-and-a-quarter lengths by Regional in his first outing at Group One level.

The Peter Harris-owned son of Gleneagles is now set for another taste of top-table action on British Champions Day.

“He’s really good and is heading for Ascot on October 21, we’re going to give it a go,” said Chapple-Hyam.

“I know it is pretty late for a three-year-old, but he’s in a good place and we’ve had a mild start to October.

“He was just a bit gassy up on the front (at Haydock), but they all were and the times reflected that. But we’re pleased with how he has come out of the race.

“He’s young and he’s still got to mature. He will have a roll out in this race and then we’ve got a nice winter to look forward to him over. He’ll be more mature (next year).

“At three they are just learning to leave the gates and get involved. We’re looking forward to him.”

Poniros could have an exciting future having rubberstamped a successful reunion between Ralph Beckett and owners Amo Racing with an impressive winning debut at Nottingham.

Horses in the purple silks of Kia Joorabchian’s racing operation were a regular sight under the Kimpton Down handler’s name previously, but trainer and owner split midway through the 2021 season with the horses dispersed to other stables.

Beckett remained absent from Amo Racing’s roster of trainers for the 2022 season, but saddling his first runner in over two years for the owners, he enjoyed a winning return to the ranks with the promising son of Golden Horn, who justified 7-4 favouritism in the Bet With The World On Saturday EBF Maiden Stakes.

Immediately sent forward by Hector Crouch, he displayed a professional attitude in testing conditions at Colwick Park and made all for a taking length-and-three-quarters victory over Jane Chapple-Hyam’s Salamanca.

“He’s a nice colt and has showed up well at home,” said Beckett.

“That will probably be him finished for the year, he is still quite a weak individual, but he is a horse we like and one for the future we think.

“He’s been very straightforward since he arrived with us – he went there knowing his job because he has been so straightforward.

“First-time winners are always nice.”

Prince Alex’s five-race winning-run and Meu Amor’s Listed Eternal Stakes success were the highlights of Beckett’s previous time among the Amo training ranks and the in-form trainer was delighted to kick off his second spell with an exciting winner for the owners.

“I enjoyed training for Kia when it was going well and hopefully this is a nice horse back with us again,” continued Beckett.

“We stayed friends throughout and it’s nice to have a nice horse for him again.”

Poniros’ jockey Hector Crouch was also impressed with the performance of the youngster, as he defied both inexperience and a notorious headwind to get on the scoresheet.

He said: “He’s a lovely horse. I didn’t want to make the running, but he jumped well and no one was there. There’s a fierce headwind so he’s done well under the circumstances to keep going and he showed a really good attitude.

“I’ve only sat on him once at home and we did a piece of work on the grass. He did everything the right way round and is likeable. He hasn’t done too much at home, he’s just a really nice type.

“He has the right attitude to stay and the pedigree as well and he’s a really likeable type.”

A tilt at Qipco British Champions Day could be on the cards for Mill Stream having continued his Deauville love affair in the Prix de Meautry.

Having won the Prix Moonlight Cloud over track and trip earlier this month, Jane Chapple-Hyam’s colt thrived on his quick return to the Normandy coast, continuing his rise up the sprinting ranks by delivering a decisive blow over Garrus in the hands of Marco Ghiani.

Charlie Hills’ runner was a length and three-quarters behind Mill Stream in second and Chapple-Hyam is delighted by how the son of Gleneagles, who showed plenty of ability as a juvenile, has progressed throughout his three-year-old campaign.

She said: “He was very good and very competitive and has come out of the race in great order.

“He’s got the hang of it now. It takes three-year-olds a bit of time to get the hang of it and the Listed race the first time in Deauville was three-year-olds only.

“On Sunday he stepped up and met the older boys, who are more conditioned and professional at sprinting and it just showed how quickly he learnt from the Listed race when being in with the older horses. You can only take positives from the race going forward.

“He’s lightly raced and we used the first one (this season) at Haydock where he was kicked off the park. But we needed that as he had been off a long time and he was heavy and stuffy, so we had to start somewhere.

“He’s easy to manage and he’s that type of sprinter, in the sense he doesn’t boil over or anything and is good to manage.”

Owned by leisure tycoon Peter Harris, Mill Stream holds an entry for the British Champions Sprint Stakes on October 21 and could now be handed the opportunity to test his talent at Group One level.

“We don’t really have a plan as such, he’s in the Ascot Sprint but I don’t really have a plan beyond that,” added Chapple-Hyam.

“It’s the last sprint Group One in Europe. He’s not in the Abbaye and that would probably be a bit speedy for him over five at this stage.

“Now he’s got the hang of it, you would look forward to seeing him run against the English older horses.

“Garrus is a good line and Batwan (third) did a lot of racing in Dubai and then back in France so he’s not a poor horse either, he’s well campaigned.”