GROUP One-winning jockey David Egan was the star of Ladies’ Day at Redcar today with a blistering hat-trick in the seaside sunshine.

After ‘hitting the bar’ a few times at Royal Ascot during the week, Egan made the long journey north pay off, with victories on Brave Empire and Russet Gold for Newmarket trainer, Roger Varian, and Mirrie Dancers for North Yorkshire trainer Roger Fell.

Egan’s day began well when promising two-year-old Brave Empire defied a penalty in good style to land the opening Download The Vickers.Bet App EBF Novice Stakes.

The jockey said of the son of Dark Angel: "He improved a lot from his debut and was tough on his second start, he really battled hard, but he showed a lot of quality today.

“To win with 9st 11lb on his back showed a lot of class. Not a lot of horses can carry a penalty and win with a performance like that. He quickened initially to get away from the pack and I felt he quickened again from the furlong pole."

The star jockey followed up immediately when Mirrie Dancers was always doing enough to hold off Tim Easterby’s Marbuzet in the Best Prices Guaranteed Daily At Vickers.Bet Handicap.

The Harzand gelding was following up winning a Wetherby handicap last time, and Roger Fell said: "David said he thought he was a nice horse. We'll have to go for the hat-trick now."

Egan’s own hat-trick came when Russet Gold justified favouritism in the Market Cross Jewellers Handicap. The jockey said: "I've had a lot of luck at Redcar in the past and today's been great."

Missing a run at Royal Ascot presented the opportunity for Cruyff Turn, trained at Malton by Tim Easterby and ridden by David Allan, to repeat his 2021 success in the feature Host & Stay Handicap.

"He was eliminated from the Buckingham Palace Handicap at Royal Ascot, so we came here as he likes the track and good ground," said trainer Tim Easterby's son William, who earmarked The Bunbury Cup at the Newmarket July meeting and a mile race at the York Ebor meeting, that the gelding won two years ago, as possible targets.

There was a poignant result in the Vickers.bet Proudly Supporting British Racing Restricted Novice Stakes, won by favourite Oneforsue.

The filly, ridden by Graham Lee, is now trained by Paul Midgley but used to be handled by Eric Alston, and is named after Eric’s wife.

Paul explained: “Eric retired from training last year to spend more time with his wife, Sue, who is unwell, and he kindly sent the horse to us. They are such wonderful people and this win is very special and emotional.”

Tacitus, trained by Tjade Collier and ridden by Dale Swift, broke his maiden at the 18th time of asking in the Vickers.Bet 'Confined' Handicap, which faced a lengthy delay when Jazz Samba got loose.

Co-owner of Tacitus, Neil Klenk, a retired insurance broker from Bradford, said: “We knew he was on form and was going well on the gallops – we just didn’t know how he’d cope with such a long delay in this heat. In the end, he’s won really well and Dale did a great job in the saddle.”

Swift sealed a double when he conjuried a late rattle out of Spirit In My Soul, trained at Malton by Declan Carroll at Malton, to deny favourite Glendown by a nose in the last race of the day, the Join Our Vickers Bet Customer Racing Club Handicap.