A NORTH Yorkshire syndicate with investors from Pickering bagged nearly £53,000 when their horse, Firmament, won at last week's 'Welcome to Yorkshire' Ebor Festival in York.

Trained at Upper Helmlsey by David O'Meara and ridden by Danny Tudhope, the 8-1 shot took the Clipper Logistics Stakes by half a length from 5-1 favourite Mustashry.

The Gallop Racing syndicate comprises a group of eight friends from North Yorkshire including Pickering trio Kevin and Ian Nicholson, who are brothers, and Dave Biggins.

Ten months ago, they paid £25,000 to buy Firmament in the sales but recouped more than twice that sum last week thanks to this victory.

Others in the syndicate are and Richard Walker, Toby Pemberton, and Richard Mustill from Selby and husband and wife Claire and Andrew Bennett from York.

"This is as good as it gets," said Walker. "We have only got three horses and, coming from this area, York is the track you want to win it!"

"He was a big purchase for us at £25,000 but - in the big scheme of things - I suppose not much. We have run a couple of times on the all-weather but he only got in this race after winning at Chelmsford."

Firmanent is now entered for next month's Cambridgeshire Handicap at Newmarket.

O'Meara and Tudhope arrived at the festival fresh from success in the Arlington Million with Mondialiste.

"To got a Group One on Saturday and another big winner here at the Ebor is very special," said O'Meara, who moved to a new multi-million pound base at Willow Farm last year.

"Moving house is difficult," he admitted. "There has been a lot of work going on through the winter but I had a great team at home who made sure we hit the ground running. These wins help repay all those who worked so hard to make it happen."

Queen Kindly, trained by Richard Fahey at Malton, upset the odds and won the battle of the Frankel fillies in the Sky Bet Lowther Stakes at the Ebor.

Malton-based trainer Fahey, meanwhile, was over the moon after Queen Kindly upset the odds in the £200,000 Group Two Lowther Stakes.

Fair Eva started the race as a red hot 4-11 favourite and the pair, along with the American bred Roly Poly, treated the Knavesmire crowd to a final furlong thriller.

Both Fair Eva and Queen Kindly are from the first crop of retired dual-world champion Frankel who produced one of his most impressive performances when winning the Juddmonte International at York four years ago.

Fahey's filly, a 9-2 shot, got home first with Roly Poly second and Fair Eva in third.

"Favourites are there to be beaten," said Fahey. "But I have to admit that I was very afraid of the favourite. She was, visually, very impressive at Ascot (when winning the Princess Margaret Juddmonte Stakes last month) so you had to be worried. The bookmakers were saying it was 2-5 so we were coming here to finish second!

"There is a bit of a stigma with the Frankels," he added. "As trainers, we are all afraid to run them just in case they get beat - but they keep winning and that just makes it even tougher!"

Owned by Jaber Abdullah, Queen Kindly's mother was Lady of the Desert who, six years ago, also won the Lowther Stakes.

Fahey, the first Yorkshire trainer to win the race since Tim Easterby achieved the feat with Jemima in 1999, said: "Frankel is covering some good 'girlfriends' - if we can put it like that! And I am just delighted to have one of them."

Fahey also enjoyed success on the opening day of the festival when The Wagon Wheel won the Betway Nursery.

It was the third time in five years that Fahey had claimed the prize after victories with Mayfair Lady, 12 months ago, and Mary’s Daughter in 2012.

“To get a winner here is brilliant for us all,” he said. “ It was a good performance second time out, winning a decent nursery like that, so we have to be happy.”

Hambleton based trainer Kevin Ryan hailed jockey Jamie Spencer as a ‘genius’ after victory on the 16-1 outsider Syphax in the Tattersalls Acomb Stakes.

Spencer had been replaced by Danny Tudhope on The Great Gatsby, Ryan’s runner in the prestigious Juddmonte International.

“When a horse runs green, there is no better man to have on board than Jamie,” said Ryan. “He let’s a horse find his stride and doesn’t rush him into the race, He had to wait for the horse to come to him. That’s what Jamie is the genius he is.”

Boroughbridge jockey Paul Mulrennan led Mecca's Angel to a second consecutive victory in the Coolmore Nunthorpe Stakes.

The Nunthorpe, with its biggest ever prize pot of £417, 250, has now given Mulrennan the two Group One successes of his racing career.

Unlike last year, there were no tears in the winning enclosure - but still signs of immense joy and pride as he paraded the trophy with his wife Adele and daughter Scarlett.

"To get these big days its what it's all about," he said. " Mecca's Angel is a very special filly. She's an 'aeroplane' on her day, she's the best ,and that's probably her best performance."

"I would love to say she's 'complicated' and I have to do 'this and that', but I just have to point her," he admitted. "At the two furlong pole, I just said 'go' and she did!"

TEENAGE jockey Adam McNamara rode Heartbreak City to victory in Europe's richest handicap, the £280,000 Betfred Ebor on Saturday afternoon.

McNamara, who is based at trainer Richard Fahey's stables in Malton, had not even won a race seven months ago.

He is now being tipped as one of the big stars of the future and his triumph sparked scenes of wild celebration in the Knavesmire's parade ring.

Jackets were thrown on the floor and fists punched in the air as Irish owners 'Here for the Craic Partnership' enjoyed their moment of glory.

According to trainer Tony Martin, even the great Lester Piggott - the only jockey to win the Ebor five times - would have been unable to match McNamara's performance on Saturday afternoon.

Still only 19, he had been recommended to Martin by Fahey as an apprentice who could take off a vital five pounds claimer in the weights.

He steered his horse into the lead with a furlong to go and never looked back.

"It feels like I am in a dream," said McNamara, who is originally from Limerick. "And I am not going to lie, I was extremely nervous.

"I was scared to look around and I was looking up at the big screen," he said. "But they weren't showing the race so I panicked a little bit. When I crossed the line it was such a relief.

"If I could tell you one race that I wanted to win, this is it," he said. "I have been coming here with my family for the last three years. I was with Johnny Murtagh (two years ago) when Mutual Regard won it. This means so much to me, I can't explain it."

Martin, who targeted the Ebor after Heartbreak City won at the Galway Festival last month, said: "The young man on him was sheer brilliance. Two down, Lester Piggott wouldn't have been as good. It was a brilliant performance by the lad.

"We also have to give a lot of credit to Richard Fahey," he added. "I spoke to Richard and he was so good. I owe him a big one. He is the man who picked this young fella."

The final race of the meeting - the Betfred Apprentice Stakes - was won by East Street Revue, trained at Malton by Tim Easterby.

Over four days, the 'Welcome to Yorkshire' Ebor Festival attracted 84,105 people including 28,000 on Saturday.