Easterby family affair at York
Mick Easterby, whose base is at Sheriff Hutton, missed his first meeting at the Knavesmire for many years due to ill-health, but had the best possible pick-me-up in the shape of winners Barren Brook and Nameitwhatyoulike.
Laid low with an ear infection, he would have been cheered by the 96-1 plus double which took his tally for the season at York alone to five.
Barren Brook, gambled down to 11-2 favourite, landed a smooth success by three-and-a-quarter lengths from Negotiation in the William Birch & Sons Ltd Stakes.
“Dad had a bit of a dizzy spell so he went to the doctors and he was told he’d got an inner ear infection,” said the trainer’s son and assistant David.
Nameitwhatyoulike (14-1) completed that trainer’s and jockey Paul Mulrennan’s brace in the SKF Rous Selling Stakes.
Dropped into selling grade for the first time and galvanised by a pair of blinkers, the Trade Fair colt opened his account with a three-quarters of a length call over Aquasulis.
Great Habton-based Tim Easterby, the son of retired trainer Peter, Mick’s brother, made it a day to remember with a 337-1 duo courtesy of Bollin Judith and Medici Time. Bollin Judith (12-1) overcame a late scare to take the feature race, the Bond Tyres Stakes while Medici Time (25-1) revelled in the fast conditions to take the the Charles Clinkard Fine Footwear Stakes.
