Doubles all round in unlikely places as Oisin Murphy and Shark Hanlon find new routes to success

Some useful advice for punters – which, I accept, would have been even more useful on Friday – is to look out for people turning up in unexpected places when racing gets one of these relatively slow weekends. We're between Epsom and Royal Ascot, so there was no marquee event bringing all the big names to one track and Oisin Murphy was free to make a rare visit to Beverley, while Shark Hanlon popped up at Bangor, both men ending the day with doubles.

Murphy's presence naturally provoked plenty of betting interest, his career strike-rate at the East Yorkshire track having been an extraordinary 41 per cent, albeit from just 17 rides. It's slipped a bit now but oh, what might have been, as his two winners were accompanied by three second places.

It looked like the Hilary Needler may have been one that got away, Flora Of Bermuda having spent much of the race in one of those pockets that can close around you when you're drawn two over five furlongs at Beverley. She was brave to stick her face into the non-gap that was the only available option with 300 yards to go and ran on well when there was daylight, about eight strides from the line.