THE Group 2 Boodles Yorkshire Cup on Friday saw a small field but an impressive winner in the shape of St Leger runner-up Rahiebb (Roger Varian/Ray Dawson), who showcased his stamina despite dropping in trip to beat Al Nayyir (Tom Clover/James Doyle) by two and a quarter lengths.

In a race lacking an obvious front runner, it was odds-on favourite Amiloc who found himself in front under Rossa Ryan but, despite seeming to set just a moderate gallop, Amiloc was inclined to over-race in front and offered no resistance when headed by Rahiebb two furlongs out, with the winner already in charge when drifting left in the closing stages.

Epic Poet (David O’Meara/Danny Tudhope) was one of only two able to go with the 4/1 winner from the two-furlong pole, losing out on second place by neck.

Dawson said on Racing TV: “We’re thrilled, he’s a hard horse to gauge as he’s such a character at home. Some days he’s as good as gold and he works really well and some days he’s like a naughty schoolboy and not a very nice horse to ride.

“We came here knowing that he had strengthened but had he improved from his St Leger run, and could he improve going forward? The feel he’s given me there was completely different to the Leger, he felt like a horse that stays well but also has gears, so he’s very exciting.

Asked if the Gold Cup at Ascot was the next step for Rahiebb, Dawson replied: “That’s where he’s heading; he can go for all these Cup races and I think he’ll just keep getting better. His mind on racing today was perfect and he’s a bigger, stronger animal. I’ve very privileged to be riding him really.”

THE Listed Sky Bet Fillies’ Stakes has a slightly chequered history as a trial for bigger things but 13/2 chance Lilt (William Haggas/Tom Marquand) overcame greenness to score in the one-mile contest and looks like she could make the grade, given time.

A homebred out of James Wigan’s smart racemare Dank, who took time to develop before going on to claim a pair of Grade 1 wins in the US, Lilt is a half-sister to useful sorts in Doom and Kilt, while her dam’s half-sister Sulk won the Group 1 Prix Marcel Boussac for Wigan and John Gosden.

Lilt took time to warm to her task but knuckled down well to beat the strong-travelling So Regal (John & Thady Gosden/Danny Tudhope) and Botagoz (Roger Varian/Ray Dawson) by a length and a half, and two lengths.

Connections are in no hurry to rush Lilt into Group 1 company, with Maureen Haggas saying: “She’s a lovely filly, beautifully bred, and has trained nicely this spring. I thought she went through a patch where she was very climby and it took a while for the penny to drop. I’m not sure it dropped 100% but she got the job done.

“Hopefully there’s a lot of improvement there because she was very green. You couldn’t have asked any more today. Where she goes next is for James, her owner, and William, but it looked to me like she’d want another little step before she takes a big step.”

LOVE A Giggle (Clifford Lee) provided Karl Burke with a third winner in the last four runnings of the Marygate Fillies’ Stakes at York on Friday, as the 9/1 shot came late to maintain her trainer’s stranglehold on the listed contest.

Race favourite Princesse D’Orange set a fast tempo, tracked by market rival Lover Girl but both were spent forces with a furlong to run.

At that point, Irish raider Armor Supreme (Diego Dias/Rossa Ryan) led on the far side and looked the likeliest winner, but Love A Giggle swopped late and fast up the middle to prevail by a head, with Lover Girl (Kevin Philippart de Foy/David Egan) holding third, two lengths behind the runner-up.

A winner at Southwell on debut, the daughter of Kodiac was showing improved form to maintain her unbeaten start and is likely to represent Burke in the Queen Mary at Royal Ascot next month.

“She’s small but she’s tough,” said the winning trainer. “She definitely stepped forward from Southwell. I said to Cliff, there’s a lot of pace on here and at Southwell she looked a little outpaced and came home really strongly. I thought there was no point getting involved early here and Cliff pulled it off brilliantly.

“Why wouldn’t we go to the Queen Mary now? That’s obviously another step up but we’ll let her take her chance.”