THE Easterby family dominated the first day of York Racecourse’s June meeting.

Veteran handler Mick notched a double to take over from Richard Fahey as Knavesmire’s leading trainer, while nephew Tim scored with a pair of his own.

And in a six out of seven-race North Yorkshire sweep, Hambleton trainer Kevin Ryan and Norton’s Brian Ellison also bagged winners.

Tim Easterby’s Bollin Judith (12-1) swooped late to win the feature £17,000 Bond Tyres Stakes.

The five-year-old, ridden by David Allan, reeled in long-time leader Mountain Hiker and held off 6-1 favourite Hawk Mountain to take the spoils.

“That was fantastic,” Tim Easterby enthused. “She will keep on going for staying races – a mile and six furlongs or two miles.

“She’s a five-year-old and she has taken time but she will continue to get better as she gets older. This is great.”

He picked up his second when Medici Time sprang a 25-1 surprise in the Charles Clinkard Fine Footwear Anniversary Stakes.

Mick Easterby, meanwhile, recorded his fourth and fifth winners of the season at York thanks to the well-backed Barren Brook (11-2 fav) and Nameitwhatyoulike (14-1) – but he wasn’t there to see them.

He missed the races, suffering from an inner-ear infection, but his son, and assistant trainer, David, was on hand to watch jockey Paul Mulrennan and Barren Brook take over at the furlong marker on the way to a three-and-a-quarter-length win over Negotiation.

David Easterby said: “We are chuffed to bits with the horse. The rain helped and the extra furlong definitely helped.

“In two years’ time, you might see him going over two-and-a-half miles over hurdles. He will make a great hurdler.”

Nameitwhatyoulike, meanwhile, battled hard to repel Aquasulis by three-quarters of a length in the SKF Rous Selling Stakes over six furlongs.

Hambleton trainer Ryan will be hoping Church Music can turn out just like his old man.

The Hambleton-based trainer watched as the 15-8 favourite made a most impressive racecourse debut in the opening Acturis EBF Maiden Stakes.

Church Music is the son of Amadeus Wolf, whom Ryan trained to a Group 1 victory in the Middle Park Stakes and Group 2 successes on Knavesmire in the Gimcrack Stakes and Duke of York Stakes.

Having always been prominent, Church Island began to stretch away at the half-way point of the five-furlong contest and left the rest of the field standing – easing down with a length and three quarters to spare over Right Result and Pen Bal Crag.

Ryan stressed no plan of action had yet been mapped out for the obviously talented two-year-old.

“That was very nice. He’s very good and he’s going to improve,” he said. “We gave him a bit of time to grow and this was the right place to bring him.

“He’s a lovely horse and this is the starting point. We’ll take him home, let him get over this, have a word with John (Fretwell, owner) and see which way he wants to go with him.”

The final race of the day was won by Ellison’s Odin’s Raven at a healthy 25-1.