Walbank booked his Royal Ascot ticket with a facile victory at York - the second meeting of the Sky Bet Sunday Series.
Hamilton kicked off the bigger and better 2022 Sky Bet Sunday Series a fortnight ago and there was more quality action from the Knavesmire this weekend, headed by speedy juvenile Walbank.
Trained by David Loughnane and ridden by Silvestre De Sousa in the colours of AMO Racing Limited, the Kodiac colt built on his promising Ascot debut second earlier in the month to run out a ready seven-length winner at odds of 2/7.
Sky Bet reacted by making Walbank 8/1 for the Norfolk Stakes at the Royal meeting next month, while he is 7/1 with Unibet for the Windsor Castle Stakes.
Earlier on the card, our Punting Pointers duo of Rory Delargy and David Massey struck gold when Topanticipation won the opening Sky Bet Sunday Series Apprentice Handicap.
Tipped at 12/1 in the profitable daily tipping column, the Harry Eustace-trained five-year-old returned a 7/1 winner under Pierre-Louis Jamin.
Showtime Mahomes (12/1) won the Sky Bet Sunday Series Dash Handicap for trainer Grant Tuer, who was the leading trainer across the Sunday Series meetings last summer, while Karl Burke's Eilean Dubh became the first double winner of this year's series when following up his Hamilton success off a 5lb higher mark in the Sky Bet Sunday Series Mile Handicap.
There was no record-breaking seventh course win for Dakota Gold in the Sky Bet Sunday Series Sprint Handicap as rookie trainer James Horton recorded his second career win at York in the space of over a week with Asjad (18/1).
He wasn't fancied in the betting but he came through with a powerful run inside the final 100 yards to record a half-length success from the Scott Dixon-trained Zargun.
James Horton said: "This is now our local Grade 1 track, so coming here and having a winner is very important.
"He's in the Wokingham, that probably fits on a time frame, the track should suit (Ascot) and that would probably be plan A, but I haven't discussed anything yet."
Dakota Gold set his stall out early as he was immediately sent into the lead and helped force a strong pace which ultimately set it up for the closers. Michael Dods' eight-year-old will surely be back at York later in the season for another shot at being the winning most horse at the course.
The Sky Bet Sunday Series Stayers Handicap was won by Evaluation (15/2), who completed a hat-trick to maintain his unbeaten record for his new connections.
Given he is out of Ascot Gold Cup winner Estimate, he was picked up relatively cheaply for 30,000 guineas out of Sir Michael Stoute's yard at the end of last year, and has done nothing but progress for new trainer Keith Dalgleish.
Dalgleish expressed: "I'm delighted, it was the way that he travelled into the race which was impressive so, we'll see, I'm looking forward to him for the rest of the year."
The plan for Evaluation is to go to Musselburgh next for the next leg of the Sky Bet Sunday Series provided he is in good health.
The most exciting finish of the day was saved for the final race as the Richard Hannon-trained Heredia (11/2) overcame trouble in-running to get her head in front just on the line to maintain her unbeaten record.
She would have been a most unlucky loser if she didn't manage to prevail, and was arguably the most exciting horse seen at York on Sunday, the manner in which she travelled and cut through the field marking her out as a filly that is up to plying her trade at a higher level later in the season.
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