'He gave me a bit of a shock!' - Hamish delivers another Group 3 win for 92-year-old owner Brian Haggas

Odds-on favourite Hamish gave his connections an almighty fright in the John Smith's Silver Cup but eventually delivered when grinding out victory to set up top-level targets for the rest of the season.

Trained by William Haggas and owned by his 92-year-old father Brian, he was sent off the 4-9 market leader and looked in trouble in the home straight but wore down Scriptwriter in the closing stages to land his fifth Group 3 victory by a head.

The owner said: "He's an absolute star but he gave me a bit of a shock today! It didn't quite work out as expected – I thought we'd see him streaking away – yet he got there in the end, that's what matters.

"He's a total joy and Maureen [Haggas, assistant trainer] rides him out every morning. He's not averse to tipping her off but she always forgives him."

The seven-year-old is entered in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Qipco Stakes at Ascot at the end of the month as well as the Irish St Leger, which he was second in last year.

"He's a great horse and he got Tom [Marquand, jockey] out of a bit of trouble today," Maureen Haggas said. "He's in the Irish St Leger, he's in everything in case it rains.

"He handles really horrible conditions whereas a lot of the classier horses don't. We'll see what the weather does and go where the ground suits him."

Blue stays cool to exact revenge

Blue For You set up another return to the Ebor meeting next month when getting his revenge in the mile handicap with an impressive success.

Second in the race a year ago, the David O'Meara-trained five-year-old made no mistake this time when winning by three lengths under Danny Tudhope. He had finished down the field in the Royal Hunt Cup on his previous start.

"He's a very good horse who travelled really nicely," O'Meara said. "He got the openings today and at Ascot last time he boiled over before he got to the start – we were happy to draw a line through that."

A tilt at the mile Heritage Handicap he won at the Ebor festival last year is on the cards again for Blue For You, while he was also cut to 20-1 (from 33) by Betfair for the Golden Mile at Goodwood.

O'Meara added: "He does like it here and he'll come back here next month. He might do Goodwood in between as well."

Nymphadora and Jason Watson win at YorkCredit: John Grossick

Nymphadora revels in the rain

The heavy downpour of rain before racing proved crucial to Nymphadora as she picked up more black type on the Knavesmire with victory in the City Walls Stakes.

Winner of the Marygate Fillies' Stakes at the track two years ago, the Andrew Balding-trained four-year-old scooped her second Listed career success by one and three-quarter lengths under Jason Watson.

"It was apparent in her racing form that she wants some rain and cut in the ground," Balding said. "Over the last couple of days the rain has gotten into the ground and she's also got course form. You can see by the physique she's got that she's not the biggest, but is quite well balanced."

Robert Johnson in winning rhythm

Robert Johnson made it five wins from his last six starts with victory in the 2m½f handicap under Connor Beasley.

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