NOT content with being the toast of Royal Ascot, Mark Johnston had two further winners at Ripon yesterday with Nuit Sombre and Coolbythepool, writes COLIN WOODS.

Both were partnered by Joe Fanning, who was on the wrong end of a losing sequence stretching back 60 rides until Nuit Sombre ended his agony with a battling display to claim the most valuable race on the card, the one-mile Ingham & Davison Handicap.

"This race could have come a bit soon for him having run at York last Saturday, but he did it well," reported a relieved Fanning, who didn't have to work anything like so hard when steering Coolbythepool home in the closing Ladies Day Handicap.

David Baron has a useful juvenile on his hands judged by the impressive winning debut made by his colt Palace Theatre in the Peter O'Connor Maiden Stakes.

"He was at the back of the queue amongst the two-year-olds early on and also had a touch of sore shins. Thankfully his work has improved over the past few weeks and he's a nice horse," reported Barron.

David Chapman's Torrent ended a three-year drought by taking the Total Butler Handicap. "Torrent had been claimed out of Chapman's yard 18 months ago, but the Stillington-based handler managed to buy him back at the Ascot Sales for just £1600.

"That was as good as winning the Stewards' Cup," beamed David.

Emerging Star, jointly owned by three generations of the Darlington-based family Arthur, Geoff, and Chris Peacock, just held on to beat Arpeggio in a tight finish to the W. Denis Classified Stakes.

"We bought him out of Lynda Ramsden's yard primarily to go jumping and he'll probably be entered in a juvenile hurdle shortly," explained winning trainer George Moore. The Beaumont Robinson Insurance Ladies Derby was run in appalling conditions as strong winds and heavy rain lashed the course.

The inclement weather did not however affect the performance of first-home Digger, trained by Gay Kelleway, who 23 years ago to the day rode her very first winner in the race.