‘I’m just glad to get a winner’: Yorkshire's Thunder Runs to victory at York's Ebor Festival

Owned by the race sponsor, Leeds businessman Steve Parkin, and trained by Karl Burke in Yorkshire, the three-year-old was second on his Wetherby debut before claiming back-to-back wins in July at Thirsk and Hamilton respectively.

He could finish only third as an odds-on favourite for his handicap debut in the Summer Cup back at Thirsk earlier this month, but rewarded those who kept the faith with an improved performance on the Knavesmire, seeing off all comers at 6-1 under David Egan, scoring by half a length from Mirsky.

Burke, who also saddled the third-placed Holloway Boy, said: “I’m just glad to get a winner, what we’ve run so far have been running reasonably well but it’s nice to get one, especially for Steve in the race he sponsors.

“I think this is a very good horse in the making, he’s still very raw. It wasn’t the plan to go out and make it, but David said he jumped well and didn’t feel he was going quick enough so wanted to go on.

“He did say if something had taken him on it probably would have cost him the race as he was on fresh air in the last 100 yards.

“At the moment a mile is far enough for him.

“Holloway Bay has run his usual game race, too, but he’s carrying plenty of weight at the moment.

“The Balmoral (on Champions Day) will be the right type of race for them both.”

There was more White Rose success when Alfa Kellenic gave Yorkshire handler Craig Lidster a day to remember when bringing up a five-timer in the British EBF Fillies’ Handicap.

Rotherham-born Lidster trains out of Easingwold and had already saddled the in-form three-year-old to win once on the Knavesmire this term.

However, the flying daughter of Havana Grey was giving him by far the biggest success of his fledgling training career by repeating the dose at the venue’s flagship meeting.

The 17-2 shot travelled strongly in the hands of Tom Eaves and when hitting the front inside the final half-furlong clung on gamely by a short head to extend her winning streak.

Lidster said: “Five wins in a row, unbelievable. She’s a tough filly and what an accolade for the yard, the owners and all my staff. I’m chuffed to bits.

“She’s versatile and we know she can win over six furlongs and stays seven now.

“Do we go to the Ayr Gold Cup? What do we do? This has opened up lots of different avenues for us now and it’s back to the drawing board.

“We’ve still got our plans over six and now we need to look at options over seven at the same time.

“She’s a filly we have always took our time with and thought a lot about. Everyone has had patience and she has delivered in the end.

“To win this at the Ebor meeting, I’m chuffed to bits. I’m chuffed for the owners, everyone at the yard and also all the owners within my yard as well, it’s just a huge team effort.”

Content gained revenge on her Irish Oaks conqueror You Got To Me to claim the Pertemps Network Yorkshire Oaks at York.

A daughter of Galileo out of dual Nunthorpe winner Mecca’s Angel, it was somewhat fitting that Aidan O’Brien’s filly was enjoying her finest hour on the Knavesmire as she registered the biggest victory of her carer.

Keen in the early stages in the hands of Ryan Moore as stablemate Port Fairy led the field along in company with William Haggas’ Sea Theme, the eye was drawn to Emily Upjohn as the runners entered the straight.

John and Thady Gosden’s mare breezed to the head of proceedings in the hands of Kieran Shoemark, but Curragh one-two You Got To Me and Content (3-1 favourite) were never far behind as the trio became looked in a three-way battle in the closing stages.

Content and Ralph Beckett’s Classic heroine edged their way past eventual third Emily Upjohn with the line approaching, but this time around it was the Ballydoyle filly who pulled out extra to become the late, great Galileo’s 100th individual Group One winner.

It was an eighth Yorkshire Oaks for O’Brien, who has now won four of the last five runnings of the mile-and-a-half event.

“She has come forward since the Curragh and every time we have stepped her up in trip she has improved,” said O’Brien.

“We ran her in the fillies’ race on (Irish) Derby weekend, the Pretty Polly, to see if she would get a mile and a quarter and she finished behind two older fillies. Ryan came in and said no doubt she will get a mile and a half and we went to the Irish Oaks and we had a pacemaker that didn’t go fast enough for her and the race never opened up for her.

“Ryan gave her an incredible ride and she’s not straightforward or easy. She has a lot of pace and he did an incredible job to get her relaxed. The pace was stronger today and she kept coming. Ryan was surprised because she was so keen but she kept coming from the three-furlong marker. It was incredible ride and she is a very brave filly who will be better in a faster-run race.

“She could go to one of the fillies’ (Arc) trials, she could go to an Arc or a Vermeille or to America.”

Diligently swooped in the final strides to register a 22-1 surprise in the Harry’s Half Million By Goffs Premier Yearling Stakes.

All eyes were on Arizona Blaze in the richly-endowed sales heat, with Adrian Murray’s Irish raider having finished third in the Group One Phoenix Stakes earlier thismonth.

Sent off the 11-8 favourite, he raced prominently for David Egan and looked to have sealed victory when he assumed control of the six-furlong contest inside the distance.

However, Diligently was on the leader’s heels for Rossa Ryan and delivered a finishing flourish on the far side with the line in sight.

Scenic was in a class of her own as she blitzed the field to claim the British EBF & Sir Henry Cecil Galtres Stakes for Ed Walker.

The result completed a black-type double on the day for Walker, who had won the Group Two Sky Bet Lowther Stakes with Celandine in the opening race.

Angel Hunter did just enough to hold off a fast-finishing Age Of Gold in a gallant display to land the sensory-junction.co.uk Autism Awareness EBF Stallions Nursery Handicap.

Mick Appleby has predicted York’s track record could be in danger as Big Evs prepares to erase the demons of 12 months ago in today’s Coolmore Wootton Bassett Nunthorpe Stakes.

Although a course and distance winner earlier this season, the sole disappointment in the son of Blue Point’s all-conquering two-year-old campaign came in this contest when he beat only two rivals home.

That performance is the one anomaly in what is a stellar on-track career and Big Evs returns to York with plenty of momentum following his thrilling King George Stakes win at Goodwood.

“He came out of Goodwood really well and he is in good form,” said Appleby.

“I think if it stays quick ground, I wouldn’t be surprised if the track record gets broken.”