Prominent North-East businessman John Elliott was celebrating at Redcar today after his horse Kynren won the feature race of the day in the blue and white colours of Bishop Auckland Football Club.

Mr Elliott, owner of successful Bishop Auckland company Ebac, has the three-year-old gelding in partnership with his brothers Colin and Tony, and the manager of his sheet metalwork department Stuart Peacock.

Kynren was named after the spectacular outdoor light show, devised by philanthropist Jonathan Ruffer, which has put Bishop Auckland on the map over the past two years.

Mr Elliott said: “Kynren has done a lot to promote Bishop Auckland so that’s why we gave the horse that name once we’d got the permission of Mr Ruffer.”

Kynren, trained at Thirsk by David Barron, has now won three of his four races and Mr Elliott believes there is better yet to come.

“He’s a quality horse and he’s progressive so we think there’s a big race in him next year,” said Mr Elliott, whose company manufactures dehumidifiers and washing machines.

The businessman, who famously fronted the “No” vote in the North-East elected assembly referendum in 2004, has owned racehorses for 12 years. His best horse was Kasthari, which dead-heated with Millenary in the 2004 Doncaster Cup.

He and his partners asked David Barron to buy five yearlings and three have turned out to be decent. One of them is Kynren, another is dual winner Danielsflyer, and the third, Dirchill, runs at Beverley tomorrow (Wednesday).

Kevin Ryan's Dandy's Beano got the eight-race card off to a flyer, running out a ready winner of the opener two lengths clear of Tim Easterby's Biddy Brady.

The winning trainer said: "We're delighted with that. She has a tendency to get nervous but she was relaxed today and goes on the ground. That'll be it now for the season but I think she's a versatile filly."

Dark Liberty took the second race under Graham Lee at 9-1 ¬– a surprisingly big price for a Simon Crisford raider from Newmarket.

Stockton-born accountant Tony Melville was counting his winnings after his filly Penny Pot Lane, ridden by apprentice Lewis Edmunds, won the third race.

Bred and trained by Richard Whitaker, the winner is entered at Pontefract on Thursday. "We'll see how she comes out of the race before making a decision," said Mr Melville.

Short Work lived up to his name by making short work of his rivals in race four – streaking clear under Danny Tudhope for another David O'Meara Racing winner.

The sixth race, The Market Cross Jewellers Maiden Stakes, was won comfortably by Van Velde, ridden by Jason Hart and trained at Malton by John Quinn.

There was a good battle for the spoils in the seventh race before Jan De Heem outbattled Stanarley Pic by a neck. The winner was ridden by seven pound claimer Connor Murtagh and trained at nearby Loftus by Tina Jackson, sister-in-law of TV presenter Derek Thompson, and part-owned owned by his brother Howard.

Smile of the day belonged to apprentice Hannah Worrall after she cruised home in the last race of the day for Tim Easterby on Rose Éclair. Mum and dad Elizabeth and Craig were there to see Hannah, from Sheffield, gain her second career win.