IT WAS a special day for so many people and so many reasons at York races on Saturday.

Emily Easterby, 20, rode her father Tim's horse Snoano to victory in the Queen Mother's Cup and, in the process, won her own weight in champagne.

Stillington-based trainer Ruth Carr returned to the racetrack for the first time since her amateur days and won the charity finale on Dubai Dynamo.

A fruit and vegetable supplier from Bradford, meanwhile, was 'living the dream' after his horse Mr Lupton won the feature race of the meeting, the 888Sport Charity Sprint.

It was also a day to remember for the Macmillan cancer fund too. Never before – in 46 stagings of the York charity day – had so much money been raised for the great charity.

Over 27,000 people attended Knavesmire and, by the time the last weary legs were heading home, over £450,000 had dropped into Macmillan's coffers.

In terms of the racing, there had been plenty of emotion and drama.

The Easterbys, from Great Habton, are one of the best known racing families in Yorkshire.

Trainer Tim's daughter Emily has no desire to become a full-time jockey but will always treasure the memory of her win in the opening race, the Queen Mother's Cup, the richest contest in the country for lady amateur riders.

Her prize for winning was five cases of GH Mumm champagne, weighed out as she sat on the scales for the presentation.

Jockey Clifford Lee rode Felix Leiter to victory in the second race, the BetStars.uk Home of Spin & Bet Stakes.

Only a week before, Lee had been disciplined by Middleham-based trainer Karl Burke for poor time keeping!

There was no repeat of last year's success in the Best Western Hotels Ganton Stakes for Top Notch Tonto.

The popular chestnut gelding from the Malton yard of Brian Ellison finished last of the 18 runners as top honours went to 11-4 favourite Mutakayyef.

Bradford businessman Noel Kershaw had stumbled into racehorse ownership two years ago after winning a charity auction.

His horse, Mr Lupton, is trained by Richard Fahey at Malton and won the 888Sport Charity Sprint to take his total winnings to over £300,000.

Mr Lupton, who is entered for the Wokingham Stakes at Royal Ascot next weekend, surged from last to first place to steal victory from under the nose of Dancing Star.

Owner Kershaw sells fruit, vegetables and cheese to a variety of high-profile customers – including York racecourse.

He said: "I was at a charity auction when the opportunity came up to own a race horse for a year. I put my hand up and I was the lucky winner.

"I had zero expectations and just wanted to learn about the job but I had such a good first year that I bought into him properly.

"To win this race is beyond my wildest dreams. It is ridiculous. These things shouldn't really happen but, thank God, they do. I realise, from talking to a lot of other owners, that I am quite a lucky fella."

Fahey's stable enjoyed another victory courtesy of Marie of Lyon, ridden by Paul Hanagan, in the Reg Griffin Appreciation EBF Stallions Maiden Stakes. The horse's owner is Steve Parkin, who has been linked with possible investment at Leeds United Football Club.

Sheriff Hutton-based trainer Mark Walford celebrated his fourth consecutive win when Woody Bay took the Ice Co Supporting MacMillan Stakes Handicap.

Tom Eaves then rode Pomme De Terre to victory in the final race under rules, the Charles Henry Memorial Stakes, before ten lucky members of the public were given the opportunity to compete in a charity race, the Best Western Hotels & MacMillan 'Ride of the their Lives'.

Carr, a former amateur jockey who trains at Stillington, raised over £35,000 to book her place in the race. Her smile, upon victory on one of her own horses Dubai Dynamo, was a sight to behold.

She said: "My grandfather died of leukaemia and my mum had breast cancer a couple of years ago. To win on my local track is fantastic – but everyone is a winner because we have raised a lot of money for Macmillan."