A FABULOUS four-timer from Silvestre De Sousa brought the curtain down on York Racecourse’s 2011 season.

The Thirsk-based rider, still chasing for the jockeys’ championship, was in superb form on Knavesmire – with three of his winners coming for Middleham handler Mark Johnston.

The Kingsley House trainer has been critical of the York track this season but, having gone a year without a winner there until Friday’s penultimate day of the campaign, everything went his way in front of a crowd of more than 20,000.

Firstly Oceanway (7-2) came from off the pace to win the Green Tick For Better Odds at coral.co.uk Stakes by three quarters of a length from Weapon Of Choice.

Deirdre Johnston, Mark’s assistant trainer and wife, said: “If you look, we had a double at this day last year. I do wonder if it is because the ground is more genuine. I did say before the race she was drawn in four and that’s my lucky number so it might be that as well.

“She handles soft ground. I thought that with the ground and trip everything should be fine for her. She’s really genuine and stayed every inch. She’s a really gutsy filly.”

Stall one could have been Johnston’s lucky number in the Listed coral.co.uk Rockingham Stakes when Bannock (5-2 fav) made mincemeat of his six rivals in the six furlong contest.

Two lengths was the winning distance over Miss Lahar and Johnston added: “I am delighted. I have ridden him all year at home and he is lovely. He had a problem in the middle of the season when he was walking and trotting. The reins broke, he just touched a wall and cut his leg. It gave us huge problems.”

The treble was landed when Licence To Till held off the challenge of Jo’burg to win the closing Coldstream Guards Association Cup but that win brought a quartet for De Sousa, who also claimed the coral.co.uk Green Tick Win More Every Race Stakes on Orsippus (20-1).

It left De Sousa with a total of eight York winners for the season, tied with Ryan Moore and Paul Hanagan, but it was the latter who took the crown, courtesy of more runner-up finishes.

Hanagan’s boss, Malton-based Richard Fahey, claimed his sixth consecutive York trainers’ title thanks to the most expensive horse he has ever trained.

Mickdaam (9-4 fav) was bought for 360,000 guineas as a yearling and the two-year-old showed a glimpse of his potential when winning the Bet On Your Mobile With Coral EBF ‘Sakhee’ Maiden Stakes.

Mickdaam, who had disappointed on his last outing at Goodwood in July, took a little while to warm up in this seven furlong contest. But, once in gear, Hanagan did not have to do too much in the saddle to see the son of Dubawi past Choisan, trained by Great Habton’s Tim Easterby, and secure a length and a half success.

Robin O’Ryan, Fahey’s assistant trainer, said: “He’s a nice horse, but a big baby.”

The victory put Fahey into double figures for the 2011 season.

The feature race of the final day of the 2011 campaign, the £75,000 Coral Sprint Trophy, saw Sirius Prospect (13-2 fav), trained by Dean Ivory at Radlett, move from the back of the pack with a strong surge and power home to beat Fahey’s Kaldoun Kingdom.