BOROUGHBRIDGE jockey Paul Mulrennan led Mecca's Angel to a second consecutive victory in the Coolmore Nunthorpe Stakes at York's Ebor Festival.

The Nunthorpe, with its biggest ever prize pot of £417, 250, has now given Mulrennan the two Group One successes of his racing career.

Unlike last year, there were no tears in the winning enclosure - but still signs of immense joy and pride as he paraded the trophy with his wife Adele and daughter Scarlett.

"To get these big days its what it's all about," he said. " Mecca's Angel is a very special filly. She's an 'aeroplane' on her day, she's the best ,and that's probably her best performance."

"I would love to say she's 'complicated' and I have to do 'this and that', but I just have to point her," he admitted. "At the two furlong pole, I just said 'go' and she did!"

Darlington based trainer Michael Dods, meanwhile, hailed the win as a triumph for 'northern racing', saying: "In jump racing there is a north-south divide. In flat racing, I don't think there is.

"There are some great trainers in the north - in Malton and Middleham - and, if we get the right horses, it shows that we can do it," he added. "This is important for the north."