FRENCH DRESSING may act like a spoiled brat but she showed plenty of ability when cruising to glory in the British Stallion Studs EBF Lyric Fillies' Stakes at York Racecourse.

John Gosden's 4-1 shot was a menace before the £40,000 Listed contest over an extended mile and a quarter - boiling over in the parade ring before dumping jockey Robert Havlin on the track and taking a swipe at him every time he approached.

Havlin gave up and took a car down to the start but, once the action got under way, French Dressing produced a tremendous turn of foot and beat Sir Michael Stoute's highly-touted Crystal Zvezda (2-1 fav) comfortably by two and three-quarter lengths.

The rider said: "It's unusual for her. She has never shown anything like that before. It was something in the corner (of the parade ring) but I don't know what upset her.

"It all helps with her experience. She's a decent filly with a great turn of foot and there is heaps of improvement in her."

Jockey Fergal Lynch believes there could be big race in Mon Brav (7-1) after Brian Ellison's horse produced an eye-catching performance to win the Clifton Park York's Specialist Orthopaedic Hospital Stakes.

The eight-year-old veteran came from the back of the pack and weaved through traffic to deny Ad Vitam by a length in the six furlong contest.

It was Mon Brav's first win since last October, his eighth in total, and Norton-based Ellison beamed that it was "the best I have ever seen him travel".

"It was a brilliant ride," the Spring Cottage Stables handler said. "It was the first time Fergal had ridden him and you just have to leave him alone, let him enjoy it and pick it up.

"He's the same on the gallops. He can be hard on the bridle one day and the next day he is last. Fergal got off and said he has got a big race in him."

Georgia Cox's misfortune brought delight for Nathan Evans.

The jockey, who rides for Sheriff Hutton's Mick Easterby, jumped on Talyani (11-4) in the opening Think As One Apprentice Stakes after Cox was caught in traffic and couldn't get to Knavesmire in time.

Trained by William Haggas, Talyani was always at the forefront of the action throughout the one mile, one furlong contest and, as Malton trainer Richard Fahey's Normandy Knight went for home with a third of a mile left to travel, the three-year-old hunted him down and swept to victory over Peterhouse by two lengths.

Evans said: "It was a spare ride and William Haggas just asked me. I had never seen the horse before but he jumped well, travelled nicely and won quite nicely. It was my first winner at York and it was great to do it in front of a crowd like that."

New Caledonia (8-1) showed grit to claim the Batleys Cash And Carry Median Auction Maiden Stakes.

Middleham trainer Mark Johnston's juvenile held off a repeated assault from Lytham St Annes to win by three-quarters of a length.

Having previously found York a difficult place to get into the winner's enclosure, it was Johnston's fifth victory of the campaign and kept him on the coat-tails of Nawton's David O'Meara in the race to be York's top trainer.

O'Meara got his obligatory winner, his ninth this year on Knavesmire, when He's No Saint (6-1) bolted up in the Novus Stakes by three and three-quarter lengths. It was jockey Danny Tudhope's first success since returning to the saddle from a broken thumb.

The closing Skybet Supporting The Yorkshire Racing Festival Stakes went to Thesme (16-1), trained by Malton's Nigel Tinkler.