JOCKEY Ben Curtis was the toast of Gin and Gents Evening at Redcar with a sparkling treble for three different trainers.

Curtis scored on Spanish Rock, Strong Johnson, and Oso Rapido, each time denying Jack Garritty, who must have been sick of the sight of the Irishman by the end of the meeting.

Spanish Rock got Curtis off the mark by justifying favouritism in the Bakers Tailoring EBF Restricted Novice Stakes for Newmarket trainer George Boughey.

The odds-on favourite looked to be in trouble when he was boxed in two furlongs out, but Curtis remained patient and produced a strong finishing to land the spoils by a head from Richard Fahey’s Showhound, ridden by Garritty.

“There was a bit of traffic but we got there,” the rider told connections as he returned to the winner’s enclosure.

Curtis made it a double when Strong Johnson strode out well to defy another Garritty mount, Devil’s Angel, in the racingtv.com Handicap (Division One) for trainer Paul Midgley.

“He’s a lovely big horse and I’m sure he can go on from here now he’s got his head in front and gained a bit of confidence. He’s a lovely horse going forward,” said Curtis.

The Irishman sealed his hat-trick in Division Two when Oso Rapido, trained by Roger Fell and Sean Murray, stayed on gamely to hold off Garritty on board Tom Tate’s Bayraat.

Sean Kirrane, fresh for landing his first Group One on Live In The Dream in the Wootton Bassett Nunthorpe Stakes at York on Friday, carried on his winning ways in the opener when Jewel Marker stayed on strongly in the Every Race Live On Racing TV Apprentice Handicap.

The young jockey, who rode out his claim at the previous Redcar meeting, admitted that his success at York still hadn’t sunk in.

“It’s been straight back to business, riding seven lots for Tim Easterby at 7am this morning,” he said. “Winning a Group 1 is hard to process but I know I’ve achieved something great, and it will sink in over the next few days.”

There was a perfect fit in race three when a jockey called Taylor won the Bakers Tailoring EBF Restricted Novice Stakes. Three-pound claimer Taylor Fisher never looked in danger on the promising Propitious, trained in Lambourn by Archie Watson.

After the filly made it two out of two, Fisher said: “It was very straightforward. She took me to the front and I pressed the button when I had to. She handles any ground and has a lot of ability at this grade. I’m sure we’ll find a nice race for her.”

Sedgefield farmer Ray Craggs was in jubilant mood as 22-1 shot Ron O made hay in the sunshine, powering clear under Ryan Sexton to win the Host & Stay Handicap by four and a half lengths.

Craggs, who describes training as a hobby, said: “I thought he’d run well. He was nearly brought down on the bend at Beverley last time and he was well handicapped with Ryan claiming three pounds.”

Craggs bought the horse from good friend Mike Rozenbroek, explaining: “I did a deal with him and told him I’d give him another four grand if it won a race. It went out and won, so I had to pay up!”

David O’Meara’s Summerghand dead-heated at York earlier in the day but the North Yorkshire trainer had a clear-cut win when Tendentious, ridden by the ultra-consistent David Nolan, took the Market Cross Jewellers Handicap by two lengths at the rewarding odds of 16-1.

The meeting closed with happy scenes in the winner’s enclosure as members of the Rebecca Menzies Racing Club welcomed One Of Our Own as the winner of the Watch Race Replays On racingtv.com Handicap under a strong ride from Paddy Mathers.

Two of the syndicate members, Kitty and Geoff Walsh, are friends of the trainer and revealed they had camped out in a field near the stables the night before the race.

Kitty said: “We went to the yard this morning and I gave our filly a cuddle and told her: ‘Come on girl, you can win.’ It’s just amazing to see her do it.”

• Main picture Ben Curtis, on Oso Rapido, holds off Jack Garritty on Bayraat