TEENAGE jockey Adam McNamara rode Heartbreak City to victory in Europe's richest handicap, the £280,000 Betfred Ebor at York.

McNamara, who is based at trainer Richard Fahey's stables in Malton, had not even won a race seven months ago.

He is now being tipped as one of the big stars of the future and his triumph sparked scenes of wild celebration in the Knavesmire's parade ring.

Jackets were thrown on the floor and fists punched in the air as Irish owners 'Here for the Craic Partnership' enjoyed their moment of glory.

According to trainer Tony Martin, even the great Lester Piggott - the only jockey to win the Ebor five times - would have been unable to match McNamara's performance on Saturday afternoon.

Still only 19, he had been recommended to Martin by Fahey as an apprentice who could take off a vital five pounds claimer in the weights.

He steered his horse into the lead with a furlong to go and never looked back.

"It feels like I am in a dream," said McNamara, who is originally from Limerick. "And I am not going to lie, I was extremely nervous.

"I was scared to look around and I was looking up at the big screen," he said. "But they weren't showing the race so I panicked a little bit. When I crossed the line it was such a relief.

"If I could tell you one race that I wanted to win, this is it," he said. "I have been coming here with my family for the last three years. I was with Johnny Murtagh (two years ago) when Mutual Regard won it. This means so much to me, I can't explain it."

Martin, who targeted the Ebor after Heartbreak City won at the Galway Festival last month, said: "The young man on him was sheer brilliance. Two down, Lester Piggott wouldn't have been as good. It was a brilliant performance by the lad.

"We also have to give a lot of credit to Richard Fahey," he added. "I spoke to Richard and he was so good. I owe him a big one. He is the man who picked this young fella."

Favourite Scarlet Dragon, trained by the in-form Eve Johnson Houghton and ridden by Luke Morris, won the opener, the Betfred Supports Jack Berry House Stakes.

Local trainer David O'Meara missed out on a third consecutive victory in the Group 3 Betfred Mobile Strensall Stakes as Custom Cut finished third behind Godolphin's winning horse Scottish and second placed Yorker.

Custom Cut had won the race two years ago while O'Meara's Arlington Million winner Mondialiste took the prize last season.

Scottish, ridden by William Buick, surged to the front two furlongs out and finished one and a quarter lengths clear. Afterwards, trainer Charlie Appleby confirmed that Scottish would be heading to Australia next for the Caulfield Cup.

The favourite Diploma, owned by the Queen, finished a disappointing eighth.

Buick bagged a second winner in the next race as Wall of Fire, priced 16-1, showed blistering pace in the final furlong to surge past the Mark Johnston trained Regal Monarch to take the Betfred Melrose Stakes.

And the Norwegian-born jockey completed a rapid hat-trick when Blue Point won the Group 2 Gimcrack Stakes for Godolphin in the next.

Bookmakers Sky Bet duly cut Blue Point's odds for next year's 2000 Guineas from 14/1 to 10/1 and, given the raw speed on display, his odds for the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot were also reduced to 6/1 from 12/1.

For the second day running, punters had been subjected to occasional rain showers but these were never bad enough to put a dampener on the final day of another memorable Ebor festival. The British summer, like a wager on the horses, offers no guarantees unfortunately

Big Time Baby, owned by former Liverpool and England striker Michael Owen, won the penultimate race of the festival, the Julia Graves Roses Stakes, at odds of 6-1.

Owen wasn't there to congratulate jockey Frankie Dettori but was represented by a number of his relatives.

The final race of the meeting - the Betfred Apprentice Stakes - was won by East Street Revue, trained at Malton by Tim Easterby.

Over four days, the 'Welcome to Yorkshire' Ebor Festival attracted 84,105 people including 28,000 on Saturday.

The wet weather of the final two days was blamed for a five per cent decline on last year's overall attendance.

Andrea Atzeni, meanwhile, won the leading jockey trophy after bagging four wins at the festival.