Rage Of Bamby won at York© Photo Healy Racing
Rage Of Bamby bounced back to form for Eve Johnson Houghton and Charles Bishop when soaring home in the Sky Bet Dash Handicap at York.
The filly was most recently seen finishing last of an unlucky 13 in the Listed Lansdown Stakes at Bath in mid-April, but her prior form showed her far more capable than that performance would suggest.
At York, she was a 14-1 shot when returning after a 99-day absence from the racecourse, but her talent came to the fore as she proved too good for her rivals and crossed the line a length and a quarter to the good.
“She’s an enigma! I’m very pleased with that, the key to her is quick ground and the time of year, I think,” said Bishop.
“We’ve always been tempted into running her earlier because her work at home is so good, but we’ve learned our lesson now.
“She’s had a break since her last run, she just seems to come to herself at this time of year.
“I think she can back that up now in a Listed or a Group race and get some more black type – she’s definitely good enough.”
Charlie Todd and Night On Earth barely saw another rival when making all the running to take home the Sky Bet “Jump Jockeys’ Nunthorpe” Handicap for trainer Ian Williams.
The six-year-old was the 6-1 favourite for the race, which is run over the same five-furlong trip as the Nunthorpe and gives National Hunt riders a chance to try their hand at a Flat sprint.
Todd is not a stranger to riding on the level, however, and has proved he is able to pull his irons up when taking a few Flat mounts in the past.
That experience served him well on the Knavesmire, as he and Night On Earth shot out of the stalls and held off all challengers to triumph by a neck from Soul Seeker and Michael Nolan, last year’s winners.
“That was brilliant, it went to plan and was pretty plain sailing,” said Todd.
“It was a bit different from riding over jumps, it was interesting at the stalls, with a few people screaming!
“Everyone was in good spirits, it’s great that York put this on.
“I think this is the second five-furlong that I’ve ridden in, so I’ve a 100 per cent strike rate!”
Greydreambeliever made a flawless debut to take the Sky Bet Club EBF Fillies’ Novice Stakes for Karl Burke on her first start.
The two-year-old daughter of Dark Angel was a breeze-up purchase and a 14-1 shot under Clifford Lee, but that price quickly looked incredibly generous as she sauntered through the race to take up the lead two furlongs from home.
She briefly locked horns with Kevin Ryan’s Beauty Queen, but pulled away again to hold off the fast-finishing Stormy Impact by half a length.
“I loved the way our filly travelled through the race, she was very professional,” said Burke.
“Of course, she was a breeze-up filly, but I loved the way she took the prelims as well.
“She did everything the right way, she was perfect down at the start and through the race.
“I thought she was a nice filly, but I didn’t think she was ready to do anything like that.
“She was a May foal and we thought we’d have a nice run and if she’d get a place, we’d be delighted, it looked a nice race on paper.
“The Firth Of Clyde is a good shout, we’ll get back home and see how she takes it.”
Nigel Tinkler’s Theme Park was the winner of the Sky Bet Prize Drop Handicap, overcoming a slow start to prevail by a neck at 9-2 under Rowan Scott.
Harry Eustace’s reliable campaigner Ziggy took a well-deserved success in the Sky Bet, For The Fans Handicap under Richard Kingscote, succeeding by a length and a quarter as the 5-2 favourite to book his place in the Ebor.
“I’ve never been so nervous before a runner because I was desperate for him to win!” said Eustace.
“He’s been admirable this year, I just felt he deserved to win one and this looked a really good opportunity for him – I’m delighted he’s got his head in front.
“I think the Ebor will be the plan, he hopefully creeps in at the bottom (of the weights). He’s come back better than ever.”
Craig Lidster’s Finn Ironside claimed the concluding Sky Bet Extra Places Every Day Handicap at 18-1, edging out 10-3 favourite Bill’s Baar by a nose.
