Bergerac (22-1) battled back gamely to crack the fiendishly difficult Sky Bet And Symphony Group Handicap at York.

Kevin Ryan’s sprinter had bounced back to form in first-time blinkers last time out at Newmarket but was 5lb higher in the weights in a much deeper race.

Tom Eaves sent him to the far rail from stall two but he looked booked for place honours when King Of Stars headed him entering the final furlong.

However, to the four-year-old’s credit, he stuck to his task and was brave in the finish, sticking his neck out to win by a short head with the same back to Atalis Bay in third.

The same connections won the corresponding race in 2013 with Bogart.

Betfair cut him to 16-1 from 33s for the Ayr Gold Cup.

Ryan said: “Just to get a winner at this meeting is nice, so it’s great to get off to a start like that.

“The horse is ultra-consistent and the blinkers have helped. It helped him and made him concentrate as he was maybe saving a bit for himself. He left everything out there today.

“I jokingly said to Tom that I had walked it last night and the far side was the place to be. There was no point in complicating it and who knows on the first day of the meeting where the place to be is? He’s a fast horse and it worked out well.”

The Ian Williams-trained Alfred Boucher was an impressive winner of the Sky Bet Stayers Handicap.

A 5-1 shot following successive runner-up finishes at Chester, the grey cruised into contention under an ice-cool William Buick before pulling three lengths clear of Frankenstella.

Alfred Boucher holds an entry in Saturday’s Sky Bet Ebor, but appears unlikely to make a quick return.

Williams said: “My main thought was ‘I hope he stays’ – probably the same as William Haggas was thinking with Baaeed earlier, but in a totally different way!

“I think William was quite confident, I wasn’t. He had a lot of ground to make up turning into the straight and he made it up very well, but sometimes they can get to the end of that run and not go on.

“It looked like it was going to be a real battle from the furlong marker, but he stuck his head down and galloped all the way to the line.”

When asked about a tilt at Saturday’s Ebor, the trainer added: “He’s a very nice horse and he’s run a huge race today. It’s one of those things you might think of differently in the morning, but he’d have to be in some nick tomorrow to even consider it.

“He’s done what he needs to do. Where we go from here, I’m not sure. He’s got a very bright staying career ahead of him and there’s no rush.”