TIM Walford is hoping he can continue his fine start to the Flat season by breaking his York Racecourse duck at The Press Family Raceday tomorrow.

The Sheriff Hutton handler is praying for rain so Harry The Hawk can take his place in the Bollinger Champagne Challenge Series Stakes for Gentleman Amateur Riders - the final race on the Press card.

The progressive four-year-old got off the mark this year at Beverley and Walford is confident he can conquer a field including York specialist Sporting Gesture, trained by his Sheriff Hutton-based colleague Mick Easterby.

Stepping up from ten furlongs to a mile-and-a-half, Walford says the trip is not an issue but conceded he would not run Harry The Hawk at York unless the current good-to-firm ground changed to good or good-to-soft - and that means more rain is needed.

"We are after our first York winner but the ground will have to go good or good-to-soft for Harry The Hawk. It's good-to-firm at the moment and that's not good enough," Walford said. "He's in good form. He's progressive and I would hope he would win. The race is up to a mile-and-a-half which is what he wants, but I won't run him if it isn't right."

Walford was predominantly a National Hunt trainer but last season gained a growing reputation on the Flat after steering thoroughbreds like The Grey Berry and Its Moon to success.

This season, he's already notched up four wins from just 15 runners thanks to Turn Me On, Micky Mac, We're Delighted and Harry The Hawk, and has also collected a series of places.

But it's a winner at York which is now focusing Walford's attention.

Last year, he so nearly did it when The Grey Berry was narrowly beaten by Richard Fahey's Flying Clarets in the Parsonage Country House Hotel Stakes in October.

Should the heavens not open, Walford still has a chance of getting off the mark on Knavesmire when Indonesia lines up in the Coldstream Guards Association Stakes on Saturday. Walford had Cesarewitch pretensions for his staying star, but the six-year-old has flattered to deceive since winning at Pontefract in September.

The trainer added: "I think he lost his confidence, but he looks like he has got it back now."

And on his start to the season, he said: "I am delighted with the way things have been going. We had three winners in a week and a winner at Hexham, on Tuesday, when Sheriff Hutton won. You need a good horse to win at York but I think I've got two chances."