Ryan takes the lead in race to be champion apprentice

The filly, trained by her Hambleton-based father Kevin, had only won at Pontefract on Monday, but she sloshed through the mud to beat Slipstream Angel by three and a quarter lengths.

She was ridden by Julie Burke on Monday, who can claim 3lb still, but Ryan, who is in a race with Darren Egan to be champion apprentice, took over in the saddle and the 15-8 favourite lumped top weight to victory – and appeared to relish the arduous workload and travel.

“At the minute things are going great so if I stay a couple clear then I can relax a little bit,” said the ecstatic winning rider.

“It was always in the back of my mind to give it a go as it was my last year as an apprentice but to be in this position is great.

“I’ve a lot to thank Mr (Richard) Whittaker for, he’s really supported me and I’m very thankful.

“Obviously my dad, too. I’ve been lucky Phil (Makin, Ryan’s stable jockey) has been banned this week and I’ve picked up a couple of spares.

“There’s still a long way to go and anything could happen. Delores Rocket is a little star. When I won on her at Carlisle she got a hefty rise.

“She then ran well at Wolverhampton, won at Pontefract and I thought she had a lot of weight today. She’s tough.”

The only female jockey to be champion apprentice is Hayley Turner who dead-heated with Saleem Golam for the prize in 2005.

While Golam’s career is still to take off, Turner is now an accomplished Group One-winning rider on both sides of the Atlantic thanks to horses like Margot Did who won last year’s Coolmore Nunthorpe Stakes at York.

Meanwhile, York trainer Mel Brittain’s Mister Marcasite (11-4) had bounced back to form in the Giles Insurance/EBF Maiden for David Allan who has several eyecatching rides on the Knavesmire today and tomorrow.

Second on his first two starts he bombed out badly when last seen at Beverley but crucially that was on quick ground.

Returned to a surface with plenty of give he narrowly held off Duke Of Yorkshire by a short head.

Allan said: “I rode him at Beverley last time and the ground was too fast for him but before that he’d shown form that was good enough to win this. He handled the ground which was key. He stays well and the boss told me to make it a stamina test.”

David Bergin is making a name for himself and partnered Elusive Bonus in the Bud & Joe Pieroni Memorial Handicap to their fourth win together.

She bounced back to form with a second at Redcar on Sunday and absolutely bolted in by seven lengths for the in-form David O’Meara whose Nawton yard has had a year to remember. “I was very impressed. All her wins have come on soft or heavy ground, she just loves the mud,” said Bergin.