Wednesday 23 July 2014 18:56, UK
Paul Midgley was a relieved man when Silvanus streaked away with the Skybet Supporting The Yorkshire Racing Summer Festival Handicap at Catterick.
The veteran sprinter, now a nine-year-old, is not known for his consistency but had run his best race for some time last time out when he chased home vaunted stablemate Line Of Reason at York.
Everything appeared in his favour in front of a bumper crowd for the fifth day of the Go Racing In Yorkshire Summer Festival, and so it proved.
Midgley barely had a moment of worry watching the action unfold as the race panned out just as he expected, with Silvanus taking up the running from Red Baron and Mutafaakir just inside the final furlong.
The 9-2 chance pulled impressively clear under PJ McDonald, giving the jockey a double, to win by a length and half from the staying-on favourite Cruise Tothelimit.
"Everything worked out perfectly for him," said Midgley. "He had a good draw, fast ground and got a lovely lead into the race. I'm pleased PJ has ridden a winner for me as well.
"If he hadn't have won I'd have been very disappointed, not just for him and his owners, but more so for the horse who beat him (Line Of Reason) last time.
"He's going to York on Saturday for the Skybet Dash and I can't wait. He's in brilliant form and Paul Mulrennan will ride him."
McDonald had earlier struck on Ann Duffield's promising newcomer Kayo Koko (10-1), who was an impressive two-length winner of the British Stallion Studs EBF Maiden Stakes.
A bargain buy from the Doncaster breeze-ups, the Zebedee filly continued the resurgent form of the yard, who endured a slow start to the season.
Duffield said: "We bought her at the breeze-ups and we've liked her from day one, we were amazed we only had to pay £9,000 for her.
"We've got a nice bunch of two-year-olds this year. I can't say I thought she'd go and win by two lengths first time out as I didn't think Catterick would suit - we only brought her here because she was ready for a run.
"She must be decent because she lost a shoe coming out of the stalls. We took her to Ripon for a gallop and she went nicely so we had an idea what we had."
Mark Johnston's Summer Times was a beaten 2-5 favourite in third behind Kayo Koko and the Middleham handler suffered another expensive reverse when Midlander was unplaced at even-money in the Pin Point Recruitment Nursery Handicap.
The race was won by Kevin Ryan's Kylach Me If U Can (6-1), placed in three maidens and running off an opening mark of 68.
Richard Fahey's Stardrifter (10-11 favourite) did oblige for favourite-backers, however, when successful in the Download The Racing UK iPad App Selling Stakes.
The Tony Hamilton-ridden eight-length winner was bought back in for £12,000.
David Nicholls is another trainer whose form has picked up recently and he was celebrating again as his son, Adrian, timed it to perfection on Cape Of Hope (11-4) in the radioyorkshire.co.uk Your Local Sports Station Claiming Stakes.
Last rounding the home turn, he collared Patrona Ciana, also owned by Middleham Park Racing, to win cosily by half a length, with the pair seven lengths clear of the rest.
Goadby (6-1) just held off Red Cape in the August 15th Is Ladies' Evening Handicap, while course maestro Tinseltown won for a fourth time at the North Yorkshire circuit in the catterickbridge.co.uk Apprentice Training Series Handicap.
