Noel Wilson has worked the oracle with Stallone, who gained his third success of the season yesterday defying top weight under Tony Hamilton in the Buckden Pike Handicap at Thirsk, writes RAY GILPIN

Hamilton sent the six-year-old into the lead with a furlong and a half to race, and he kept him right up to his work to pass the post with two lengths to spare from Ias'Af, with Michaels Dream a short head away in third. Wilson, who trains out of Lord Halifax's Garrowby Hall estate, but is soon to move to Flaxton, said: "I bought Stallone from David Nicholls, who has been brilliant really, he said the horse had lost his way and had gone sour and that a change might do him good and it has done. He won for us and he has now won twice for Mrs Karan Ridley since she bought him from me - it has been a good few days for us as my wife Nicki had our second child, who we have named Alice, on Sunday."

Wilson has a team of 17 at present and he added: "We will have room for a few more when we move, and I wish we had a few more like Stallone, I ride him out and I am 13st so he must have thought he was running loose with only 10st today!

"We run Night Market at Beverley tomorrow and I think he will go well too."

Royston French rode his first winner for Wetherby trainer Robin Bastiman when the consistent Pepper Road gained a well deserved success in the Deepdale Solutions Handicap.