Redcar report: Dark Day gives rivals the Blues

Hammond's colt was under the cosh not long after the halfway stage of the seven-furlong event, but he responded generously to rider Darren William's urgings and having struck the front at the two-furlong pole, never looked like being headed thereafter.

"He ran some cracking races for Richard Hannon last season, however the owners are from the north and decided to send him to me because they felt there would be more opportunities up here," revealed Hammond.

"Dark Day Blues has been a bit disappointing on his last couple of outings, although that's probably my fault for taking all of this time to learn how to train him," added the Middleham-based handler with just a touch of irony in his voice.

There was a sting in the tail for winning trainer Michael Chapman after Brilliantrio, who is owned by retired Skipton farmer, Jack Wilson, landed the one-mile Anderson Barrowcliff Handicap.

"The owner and I don't get on so the horse is not coming back to my yard, instead she's going to be trained by Bob Woodhouse. I feel sorry for Bob because its' taken me a year to get to the bottom of this mare, she throws her riders off everyday on the gallops, plus has a terrible wind problem," revealed Chapman after Brilliantrio had landed the £3,309 first prize with embarrassing ease.

David Barron's recent rush of winners continued apace at when he landed his fifth winner in as many days via his well-backed filly Maureen's Lough, who won the opening seven furlong Magnum Selling Stakes at odds of 3-1.

"We're flying now, but it has been awful time. Believe it or not that was my first two-year-old winner, we've had ringworm in the yard since mid-April and it flattened the horses," said David.

Richard Fahey's stable is back on song and connections landed some nice bets when his three-year-old, Ritchee, came with a wet sail to claim the closing Salmanzar Handicap for the Malton trainer.