PATIENCE propelled Pale Mimosa (2-1 fav) and jockey Pat Smullen to Weatherbys Hamilton Insurance Lonsdale Cup glory at York Racecourse’s Welcome To Yorkshire Ebor Festival.

The five-year-old, a winner of the Galtres Stakes at the Ebor Festival two years ago, struck by half a length in the two mile £150,000 Group 2 contest.

Kept up with the pace throughout the early stages as Forgotten Voice set a steady gallop, Smullen resisted the urge to strike for home immediately as the runners entered the home straight.

The duo eventually went clear with just over a furlong remaining and then battled hard to resist the challenge of Estimate, who ranged up strongly after Pale Mimosa had slipped the rest of the pack.

Times Up , the winner of this race two years ago for trainer Ed Dunlop , was back in third spot.

Pale Mimosa’s trainer, Dermot Weld, said he could consider the Melbourne Cup as a target but insisted his mare would need some cut in the ground.

Weld said: “She won well at Leopardstown and was here two years ago in the Galtres. They were two very brave fillies fighting it out, her heart was in the right place under a tactical ride.

"The race was run to suit her and Pat had her in the right position throughout.

"The plan was to sit handy and not many others ride a better type of race than Pat. We had no worries about the ground today and it looked a very good renewal."

"We'll see,” Weld added on the Melbourne Cup. “The problem is she loves a bit of ease in the ground, and the track here was beautiful.

"We'll think about it, and certainly discuss it in great detail. She's a wonderful staying mare to own."

Smullen, who guided Short Squeeze to victory in the Clipper Logistics Stakes on Wednesday, said: “She’s a very good mare when things go right for her. She is not just a stayer, she has a turn of foot as well.

“She doesn’t want it very soft but just to have a bit of kindness in it. She is going to be a very good filly for the rest of the year.”

Elsewhere on the third day of the Ebor Festival, Absolutely So (6-1 jt-fav) landed the Sky Bet City of York Stakes for rising riding star Oisin Murphy – beating Glory Awaits, trained by Sutton Bank’s Kevin Ryan, by a length and a half to take Listed honours in a contest worth £100,000.

And Glenard shrugged off all challengers to take the opening Sky Bet Transfer Stakes. The 12-1 shot, ridden by William Buick, led throughout the mile and a half £50,000 contest and had a neck to spare at the finish over Salutation.