Contact Dancer had to call on all his extensive reserves of stamina to grind out victory in an exciting renewal of the totesport Cesarewitch at Newmarket.

Heavy rain on Friday turned the going to soft, heavy in places, and 34 runners lined up for the gruelling 2-mile contest.

Royston Ffrench gave the Mark Johnston-trained Contact Dancer a positive ride and he had the lightly-raced five-year-old up with the leaders from the outset in company with The Last Cast and Pushkin.

As the field swung into the long straight they came down the centre and two furlongs from home Contact Dancer took a definite advantage. But he was immediately challenged by Mr Ed, Mirjan and Kristensen.

Johnston's charge responded gamely to his rider's urgings and kept on in resolute fashion to land the £75,400 first prize at 16-1.

Mr Ed (10-1 joint-favourite) was half a length away in second, with a head back to the staying-on High Point (50-1). Quedex (33-1) was a close fourth.

Distant Prospect, the other market leader, finished eighth after having every chance.

Contact Dancer joined Johnston this year and was having only his third start of the season.

The Middleham trainer, who was winning his second Cesarewitch following Spirit Of Love's victory in 1998, said: ''This race has always been at the back of our minds.

''Michael Watt, the owner, has had horses with us in the past and he sent us a couple of horses this year. But we've had so many interruptions we've hardly had a runner for him, so it's great to have this winner.''

Contact Dancer had clearly revelled in the testing conditions and Johnston continued: ''I walked every inch of the track this morning and it didn't seem so bad, but this horse loves the mud and stays all day.

''I am very pleased for Royston, who has had a bit of an up and down season. He really deserved this.''

Former champion apprentice Ffrench's fortunes have taken a turn for the better since he moved north to Richmond last year and he is well on his way to getting his career back on track after floundering for a while when he became a fully-fledged jockey.

Ffrench, 29, who won the Cesarewitch on Inchcailloch in 1996, said: ''I'm pleased with the way last year and this year have gone and I'm just rebuilding my career.

''I moved north last November and that has been a big help. I'm very aware about the bad times and now I just want to have more good times than bad.''

Reflecting on the race, he added: ''Winning a big race like this gives me a special buzz.

''He travelled well and was still on the bridle five out. I was always confident he'd run a big race.

''It was a dream ride and gives me a tremendous thrill. It finishes the season off nicely.''

Jimmy Quinn, who rode the runner-up, said: ''I threw the kitchen sink at my fellow but we were in the middle of the track and he was dossing and looking around.''

High Point's trainer Gerry Enright said: ''We'll come back next year but we might give him a crack over hurdles at somewhere like Sandown.''

Maids Causeway gained a richly-deserved win in the Group Two Owen Brown Rockfel Stakes.

The Barry Hills-trained filly, who finished third in the May Hill Stakes at Doncaster and second in Ascot's Fillies' Mile, had a rare tussle with Penkenna Princess.

The latter looked set to score when going on two furlongs out with Maids Causeway, who had been prominent throughout on the stands side, still running on for Michael Hills.

Hills got a powerful late surge out of the 3-1 favourite and she got up right on the line to register a dramatic short-head victory over Penkenna Princess.

Maids Causeway is a 25-1 chance for the 1000 Guineas with Victor Chandler.

''She's very tough and very game and a great advertisement for her sire Giant's Causeway,'' said the winning trainer, who admitted that he thought his charge had been beaten.

''I thought the ground might have been a bit soft for her and she'll be better on better ground.

''When her owner, Martin Schwartz, bought her earlier in the year, he said she would stay with me for the rest of the season before any thought of her going to be trained in America."