THERE was a win apiece for North Yorkshire trainers Mark Johnston, David O'Meara, Richard Fahey and Nigel Tinkler at Saturday's William Hill Bronte Cup at York.

Middleham-based Johnston started the day well with a win for the Jason Hart-ridden Cardsharp in the first race on the card, the Class 2 William Hill Extra Place Races Everyday Handicap.

O'Meara's Makawee came home easily ahead of the field in the next, the Class 4 Jigsaw Sports Branding Handicap and Arctic Fox's first-placed finish in the penultimate contest - the Class 3 Infinity Tyres Irish Champions Weekend EBF Fillies' Handicap - brought Fahey his winner.

Langton-based Tinkler took the final race of the day, with Tony Hamilton aboard Citron Major in the Class 3 John Wright Electrical Handicap (Gentleman Amateur Riders).

The day's big prize of £50,000 went to Suffolk-based trainer William Haggas, whose Dramatic Queen had every chance inside the final furlong and stayed on strongly to take the Group 3 William Hill Bronte Cup Fillies' Stakes.

Behind Cardsharp in the first race were O'Meara's second-placed So Beloved and Fahey's Zap. Both were held up early before making good progress, though So Beloved was never able to challenge and Zap only pulled into third in the final furlong.

Under Daniel Tudhope, O'Meara's Makawee was in touch and made smooth headway over two furlongs out to take the £10,000 jackpot.

After their first win, Johnston and Hart paired up three more times for podium finishes. The first of the trio came in the Fillies' Stakes where, after getting held up in mid-division in the Fillies' Stakes, Hart piloted Bayshore Freeway to third.

There was a third-placed finish for Great Habton trainer Tim Easterby in the Class 2 William Hill Leading On Course Bookmaker Sprint Handicap with David Allan aboard Copper Knight. They tracked the leaders and led over two furlongs out but fell behind David Griffiths' Duke of Firenze and Scott Dixon's Dark Shot in the £31,000-rated contest.

Johnston and Hart were again prominent in the Class 3 Yorkshire Regiment British EBF Novice Median Auction Stakes (4.15pm), coming second with Makyon behind the Archie Watson-trained War Storm.

Another runners-up spot followed for Vivid Diamond in the Fillies' Handicap, again under Hart, though another of Johnston's horses, Quintada - ridden by Tom Marquand - came in third.

Fahey's winner Arctic Fox, ridden by Paddy Mathers, got held up in the rear but made headway over two furlongs out and stayed on well after leading approaching the final furlong.

Quintada, by contrast, had led over one furlong out but faded towards the end, while Vivid Diamond had every chance from two furlongs out and kept on under pressure.

There was time for another pair of North Yorkshire trainers to notch a top-three finishes.

Sheriff Hutton's Mick Easterby finished third with Magic City in the day's final contest, behind Great Habton trainer Lawrence Mullaney's Dark Intention.