Former champion jockey Kieren Fallon closed the gap on his main rivals in this season's title race when he had a winner at Great Yarmouth yesterday.

While reigning champion Paul Hanagan, leading the title race on 149 wins, drew a blank at Great Yarmouth for the second successive meeting, Fallon scored on Richard Hannon's Regal Gold. The two-year-old bay colt defied a six-pound penalty for winning six days earlier, to score in a driving finish notable for the lack of use of whips.

Victory moved Fallon to within eight wins of Hanagan, the pair being split by Brazilian Silvestre De Sousa, who also endured a disappointing day, on 145 winners.

Regal Gold completed a double for Hannon who saw Forgive, at 17-2 under Dane O'Neill, win the second race of the day, beating Frankie Dettori on the Godolphin favourite Morrow.

Dettori, only riding in the first two races, had won the opener. Just as with the previous week, Godolphin introduced a winning newcomer in 9-2 second favourite Kailani.

The bay filly won comfortably from David Lanigan's 50-1 newcomer Shestheman, with Fallon third on Protect.

The bookies took a bashing in the third event when 5-4 favourite Aljamaaheer, despite being slowly away, made an impressive winning debut under Richard Hills for trainer Roger Varian, beating 100-1 runner-up Mezzotint from Luca Cumani's stable.

William Carson has been a regular track winner this season and he steered Peter Hiatt's 8-1 shot Mazij to an easy five-length win in the seller.

Fallon, on evens favourite Jack's Revenge, was never in the hunt and finished a disappointing last of the seven-strong field.

Croeso Mawr, a regular visitor over the summer, finally got her nose in front to win the 16-runner handicap at 12-1.

Steve Drowne steered home the winner for trainer John Spearing, beating another track regular, Exopuntia, a course and distance winner in the spring, returned at 22-1.

Cativo Cavallino, won race seven under three-pound claimer Natalia Gemelova for trainer John Long. The winner battled on gamely to hold off well-backed favourite, Jane Chapple-Hyam's Forks by a nose in a photo-finish.

The eight-race card was completed with a six-furlong sprint won by Dixie Gwalia. Ridden by Martin Lane for trainer David Simcock, Dixie Gwalia lost her maiden tag by holding on to get the better of Mark Tompkins' Comrade Bond.

Next Tuesday sees the course's final meeting of the season, first race at 2pm.