THE thunderstorms that rumbled over York today were welcomed by York Racecourse just 24 hours ahead of the start of tomorrow's Ebor meeting.

And if anything it has helped the going, which was given as good to good to firm in places, as clerk of the course John Smith explained: "We really only had a tenth of an inch of rain for about half an hour, so it has not made any difference to the going at this stage.

"We had not had any rain at all for a few days, bar a brief storm on Saturday. And we watered the course for ten minutes last night to keep it as it was.

"So this morning's rain has just eased the course a little if anything, and it should be just about right."

The race for the jockeys' championship arrives at York with the three main contenders - Kevin Darley, Richard Quinn and Pat Eddery - in prime form.

Sheriff Hutton-based Darley leads with 110 winners, nine in front of Quinn and 12 ahead of Eddery.

Quinn reached a century of winners in a season for the eighth time at Pontefract yesterday by completing a 168-1 treble at the Yorkshire track.

He recorded his three-timer on Ami's Angel, Arabesque and Lidakiya.

But Darley hit back with an 18-1 double on Premium Princess and Everest.

Ami's Angel is in the Lowther Stakes at York on Thursday.