Racing:Henry Cecil's Midday recorded the fourth Group One win of her career in a dramatic Darley Yorkshire Oaks at York where old rival Sariska refused to race.
While the latter entered the stalls without turning a hair, as soon as the gates opened she stood still under Jamie Spencer and her race was over before it began.
Midday (11-4) travelled strongly throughout under Tom Queally and cruised to the front two furlongs from home. This year's dual Oaks winner Snow Fairy tracked her to the furlong marker and tried to reel her in, but Midday had too many guns and passed the post three lengths ahead.
Queally said: "It's fair to say she's getting better as she gets older. They went a good pace and I was sort of waiting for Sariska to come. She settled very well and got the trip very well, if anything I got there going a bit too well. She's one hell of a filly and she's very special to me.
"I wasn't aware Sariska was still in the stalls, I was keeping her up to her game as I thought she might be coming hard at the end."
Earlier Wootton Bassett landed a major gamble as the heavily-backed 5-4 favourite powered up the Knavesmire to land the richly-endowed DBS Premier Yearling Stakes.
Championship-leading jockey Paul Hanagan struggled to get Richard Fahey's charge settled early on as the pre-meditated plan to find cover disappeared.
However, the Iffraaj colt surged along the rail from his prominent position to record a one-and-three-quarter-length victory over Galtymore Lad, ridden by Kieren Fallon, with the pair finishing well clear.
Hanagan said: "He hits the gates so quickly he gets nearly a length on the rest of them coming out of the stalls.
"He was very quick out of the gates and there wasn't anything quick enough to lead me. Kieren (Fallon) came at me but it actually helped me as it was just what he needed and he dug deep. He's good."
Fahey added: "He's a nice horse and we think he's pretty special, so it's good. We like him an awful lot. We tried to drop him in but they're not quick enough to take him off the bridle. It was nice to see him quicken away at the end and the first two were a long way clear of the rest.
"I think he'd nearly have won the Gimcrack but we've come for the sales race because there's massive money on offer. They're so valuable you can't really get away from them.
"He's in a few more sales races and we'll have a look and see. He's in everywhere. He's in the sales race at Doncaster, as well as the Mill Reef Stakes and the Champagne Stakes."
Andy Lanigan, travelling head lad for Mick Channon, said of the runner-up: "He's run a massive race. He was carrying a penalty and the first two have pulled miles clear. We will just keep looking for suitable races for him. He's very tough."
The Barry Hills-trained Ransom Note bounced right back to form with a ready victory in the Addleshaw Goddard Stakes.
The 8-1 chance had disappointed in his two starts since winning Royal Ascot's Britannia Stakes but travelled strongly throughout this time in the hands of the trainer's son, Michael.
The three-year-old was pushed through to take the lead heading into the final furlong and while Acrostic looked a big danger down the outside, Ransom Note soon fought him off to score by two lengths.
Hill jnr said: "He's a easy horse to ride, he makes me look good. We had a beautiful draw and I was able to ride him how I wanted, he finished really well.
"He's growing up and it went perfectly today. He gave a huge effort at Ascot and I think he's only just recovering from that."
Veteran trainer Hills added: "He was badly drawn at Newmarket and also at Goodwood, where he could never get into the race. He'll go for the Cambridgeshire now, all being well, and I wouldn't think he'd run before then."