Karl Burke's rich vein of form continued when he saddled bottom-weight Orphan to win the £50,000 totesport.com Stakes at Ripon on Saturday.

The Middleham trainer made a slow start to the season, but he now has his string in top gear.

He had sent out eight winners in the last fortnight and he added to that tally when Dale Gibson drove the 20-1 shot home by a neck from Beckermet with Viking Spirit, the 9-4 favourite, a length away in third.

Nine of the 19 runners raced on the far side and it soon became clear they had the call over their rivals on the stand rail.

The market leader went on at the furlong pole but was soon challenged and overtaken by Orphan, who then had to dig deep to hold the fast-finishing runner-up.

''Things are going well and long may it carry on - and if it carries on until Wednesday I'll be happy,'' Burke said, referring to Clare Hills, who is due to run in the Queen Mary Stakes at Royal Ascot at York.

He added: ''Dale gave Orphan a cracking ride - he's worth every pound.

''The horse went down like a crab. He's a lovely horse and a horse for the future, but he does want a bit of cut. He's a big, sloppy horse going down but in a race he carries himself well.

''Dale said he only just got away with this fast ground.

''That's a nice prize to sit on, so we don't have to make any plans.''

Gibson added: ''That's my biggest prize this year and my first winner for Karl.

''It's nice to get on a live horse in a handicap with minimum weight because it's only in these heritage handicaps that jockeys round about 8st have a chance to win a big race. The rest of the time they don't get in.

''I was very keen to get on the horse because I thought he was unlucky at Hamilton last time.''

Ace Of Hearts responded to a strong ride from John Egan to land the totescoop6 Handicap and give Newmarket trainer Chris Wall a welcome boost.

The 100-30 favourite was always handy before going on with three of the nine furlongs left to go.

Ace Of Hearts was strongly pressed in the final quarter of a mile by Krugerrand, but he would not be denied and held on by a neck.

Wall said: ''That was needed. We've had a bit of coughing, scoping dirty, that sort of thing and we've just had to be patient. We aren't firing on all cylinders yet but it's just nice to poke a winner in and take the pressure off.

''We've sort of turned the corner this week. We had a couple run second and third and this old boy has been knocking on the door, so he wasn't winning out of turn.

l Malton trainer Brian Ellison was hit with a £2,000 fine and his jockey Royston Ffrench banned for 14 days over the running and riding of Everest in the toteplacepot Handicap at Ripon on Saturday.

Everest was held up in the one-mile contest before being ridden along in the straight.

The eight-year-old stayed on but could make no impression on the leaders inside the final furlong and finished sixth of the eight runners, beaten five and a quarter lengths.

The local stewards took a dim view of events and punished the trainer and rider as well as banning the gelding from running for 40 days (June 14 to July 23 inclusive).

Ffrench, who is banned from June 22 to July 5, intends contesting the stewards' decision.

Before dashing off to ride at Leicester on Saturday night, he said: ''I'll have to have a talk with Mr Ellison, but my personal view is that I'm going to appeal against my suspension.''

Ellison was left fuming by the stewards' ruling and he, too, is considering an appeal.

He said: ''The horse hasn't been in form, he hated the ground and was never travelling."