YORK owner Alan Black completed a remarkable double when his five-year-old, Blessingindisguise, won the £25,000 City Index Rated Stakes at Ascot yesterday for the second year in succession.

Black, a well-known York chartereed surveyor, saw his horse, ridden by top Irish jockey Michael Kinane, win in an exciting finish and then survive a steward's inquiry as Blessingindisguise, tipped by Tom O'Ryan in Thursday's Evening Press, came with a strong run in the last 100 yards to edge home by half a length.

"It was an incredible day for me. I said it was a dream come true when he won this race last year, and this was a bonus," said Black, who celebrated his success quietly with a group of friends at a private dinner party at Dunnington last night.

"We got a good draw, remarkably at number one, the same as a year ago, and we also had the fast ground that Blessingindisguise likes.

"Michael Kinane said he would like to bring the horse through after having him covered up, as we say in horse racing terms, and the plan, which was a high risk one, worked to perfection.

"But as many people would have seen, it nearly failed because he was boxed in for a time and only found a gap to come through in the closing stages," said Black.

"He was carrying 11lb more than last year so it really was a great win for Blessingindisguise, who has now won eight races for me worth about £75,000 in prize money.

"I think the race showed why Michael is so well regarded. He rates the horse highly and we now plan to run him at the York August meeting. He is also entered for a big group race in Sweden in September," added Black.

Mick Easterby, who trains Blessingindisguise at Sheriff Hutton near York, completed a double as Sandbaggedagain won the John Guest Brown Jack Stakes at Ascot half an hour earlier.

Buzz The Agent, also owned by Black and trained by Easterby, runs at Beverley on Tuesday afternoon in a ladies amateur riders' race and they hope to go one better than last week when the horse finished second at 25-1.