Dante Festival: Betty Clover picks off rivals to close out in Marygate Fillies Stakes triumph at York

The Time Test two-year-old, who was bred and is owned by her trainer, won on debut and then came home behind Running Queen when last seen in a Salisbury conditions race.

Moving up in grade to Listed level on the Knavesmire, she made ground stealthily on the far side of runners and picked off her rivals in the closing stages of the five-furlong contest to eventually prevail by half a length from Miss Lamai, having started at 12-1. Running Queen was third on this occasion.

Georgia Dobie has been in the saddle for all of the filly’s starts and said of the success: “She’s really tough, she was a little bit outpaced halfway through and I thought she might need six, but the further she went the better.

“She just got there in time. I think she’ll be quite exciting over six, she’s homebred and she’s just blossomed into a lovely little filly.

“Everyone just adores her, she’s so straightforward which I think is the key really. She’s got no quirks, I really appreciate the ride.”

Leyburn handler Karl Burke has a good record in the race and saddled three fillies this time, with Miss Lamai doing the best of the trio under Callum Rodriguez.

“I thought she had it won at the furlong pole, but she was probably in front a little too long and she got a bit lonely,” he said.

“We were beaten fair and square on the line. She’s a very nice filly.

" I thought she was the better of my three in the race, but I thought she’d be better over six furlongs later on rather than now. But she’s obviously learned a hell of a lot.

“She’s a good filly, I’ll have to speak to the owners whether we go to Ascot for the Queen Mary, she wouldn’t be disgraced, that’s for sure.”

Running Queen and Oisin Murphy crossed the line a length and three-quarters behind the winner.

Trainer Ollie Sangster said of the run: “Very happy, third in a Listed race.

“Obviously the form has been overturned from Salisbury – maybe the change in ground or something, not too sure.

“She will go to Ascot now, Oisin seems to think the Queen Mary is the logical one, but we will have a think and it will be one or the other anyway.”