ALTHOUGH Sir Michael Stoute was on duty at Royal Ascot, it didn't stop the reigning champion trainer winning yesterday's feature race at Thirsk with Peeress.

Despite being heavily backed down to 13-8 favouritism, it wasn't all plain sailing for Peeress in the Anthony Fawcett Memorial Fillies Handicap, because she was harried all the way to wire by the 16-1 outsider, Waterpark, who is trained at Sedgefield by Ray Craggs.

The race appeared all over as Peeress cruised past the long-time leader Waterpark well over one furlong out, but Cragg's filly fought back like a tigress and there was only three-quarters-of-length between the pair at the line.

"That's only her third race and Peeress is very inexperienced, she didn't know what do once hitting the front," reported Jimmy Scott, representing Sir Michael. "The jockey, Brett Doyle, also said that she slipped a little on the home turn," added Scott.

John Gosden, successful in the opener at the Royal meeting with Iceman, completed a 13-1 across-the-card double when Majorca took the money in facile fashion with a smooth-as-silk victory in the Go Racing in Yorkshire Stakes.

Majorca, a magnificent looking son of Green Desert, had previously proved expensive to follow, however he made no mistake this time, powering past the odds-on market leader, Taaqaah, to score eased down by a-length-and-a-half.

"He relished the step up to seven furlongs and fast ground is another key to this horse," revealed Gosden's spokesman, George Ellison.

Bill Turner boasts a superb strike-rate with his youngsters at the course so it was no surprise to see his two-year-old, Princely Vale, landed the Esk Selling Stakes under an excellent ride from the promising apprentice, Colin Haddon.

"Colin works in the yard and is good value for his 7lb claim, so we decided to give him his chance this season," reported Turner, who had to go to 6,000 guineas in the subsequent auction to retain the winner.

After the first four races had all gone to southern-based raiders, a Yorkshire-based horse finally got his head in front when Karl Burke's Middleham-trained, Party Ploy, edged out Bakiri by a neck in the White Swan Ampleforth Handicap over a mile-and-half.

Part-owner and trainer's wife, Elaine Burke, was clearly delighted by the triumph. "Party Ploy is in great form at present, he won at Hamilton last week as well."

And there was more local cheer in the closing Barnard Handicap when David Nicholls, who is based just a few miles up the road at Sessay, claimed the finale with all-the-way winner, Lord Of The East.

"One of lads, Jay Roberston, led him to the start as he's been withdrawn a couple of times because he's bolted on the way to post," said stable spokesman, Ernie Greaves. It was also a welcome winner for jockey David McCabe, who was on the wrong end of a 20-day ban from the Stewards at the track under the "non-triers" rule aboard John Wainwright's Beyond The Clouds last month.