Hidden Commander and Will Knott provided Selkirk trainer Stuart Coltherd with a double at Hexham Races last Saturday, both ridden by son Sam who only returned to action eight days earlier after being sidelined since the end of May with a shoulder injury.

Hidden Commander brushed aside top weight of 12st when following up last month's Kelso success in the 2m4f Fantastic Falcons Events For Every Occasion Handicap Chase.

Always prominent, the eight-year-old led three out before being challenged after the next by Without Conviction (Stephen Mulqueen). Coltherd's mount found a bit extra on the run-in, keeping his rival at bay to secure a one length verdict.

The winning jockey said: ''All our horses are in good order at home. This one usually prefers a sound surface but didn't seem to mind the softer ground here. He jumped and travelled well all the way, and winged the last which helped to seal victory.''

The Coltherd team doubled up with former Irish pointer Will Knott in the 2m Falcons Events Dream Team Open National Hunt Flat Race.

Making his debut for the yard, the four-year-old travelled well in midfield before making smooth headway up the hill to head long-time leader Kandor (Patrick Wadge) in the home straight. The youngster then found plenty when the chips were down to score in good style by one-and-three-quarter lengths, with Susan Corbett's new recruit Rock Steady Eddie (Nathan Moscrop) in third.

This Malinas gelding, related to multiple jumps winners Tourist Attraction and Pete The Feat, was bought for £52,000 at Tattersalls Cheltenham Sale in April, less than three weeks after finishing runner-up to the Colin Bowe-trained Rokathir in a Rathcannon Maiden contest. The highly regarded Rokathir was subsequently sold to Roger Brookhouse for €110,000.

Coltherd's yard was denied a treble when top-weight Augharue was collared near the line in the 2m MKM Building Supplies Hexham Handicap Chase by Micky Hammond's veteran campaigner Bandit D'Ainay (Brian Hughes).

Always up with the pace, Augharue (Sam Coltherd) was sent to the front six out and still had a length in hand at the last before just failing to concede 23lb to Bandit D'Ainay who overhauled him in the dying strides to snatch an unlikely neck verdict, with course specialist Cudgel (Jamie Hamilton) in third.

The victory ended a four year losing run for the 12-year-old veteran who has seen his handicap mark drop from 103 to a career-low of 69 since coming to Hammond's Middleham yard in November 2021 from Chantilly-based trainer Francois-Marie Cottin.

In-form Kinross trainer Lucinda Russell and stable jockey Derek Fox, who have operated at 22% strike-rates in the past fortnight, celebrated another winner with ex-Irish pointer Choose A Copper in the 2m Mick Blair Memorial Novices' Hurdle Race.

Making his racecourse debut, the five-year-old made every yard of the running under a typically positive ride from Fox to justify odds-on favouritism. He faced a challenge from the unfancied All Ways And Ever (Brian Hughes) approaching the last but had all the answers and kept on well to score quite impressively in the end by three-and-a-half lengths.

He was bought for £95,000 at Goffs Doncaster Sale on May 24, three weeks after finishing a close second in a Dawstown Maiden contest and the form of that race has worked out well.

Russell said: ''He's an outstanding horse who moves really well and if you lead him you have to run to keep up with him. Working him at home, he goes like a stayer but he has power and a bit of pace so for a long-distance prospect to win over two miles is good.''

She added: ''He's still a little bit green and needs a bit more experience. I can't wait for him to go chasing but I'll have to be patient about that.''

Warwickshire-based trainer Olly Murphy's 500-mile round trip paid dividends as winning Irish pointer Minella Double landed the 2m4f True Northern Hospitality With Falcons Events Maiden Hurdle Race under a well-judged ride from 22-year-old Dylan Johnston.

Formerly based in North Northumberland with Rose Dobbin, this was a second winner from only five rides in October for Johnston.

Always prominent, the five-year-old was produced with a perfectly timed challenge to join pace-setting Dangan Cloud (Derek Fox) at the last before staying on strongly to score, going away, by two-and-a-half lengths, with the Dan Skelton-trained Mumford's Magic (Fergus Gillard) in third.

Johnston said: '' That was only his fourth start and he's still a bit raw. I've ridden around here plenty of times in the past and was happy to sit in behind the two leaders coming up the hill before making my move.''

Murphy added: ''His work and schooling at home had been good and I thought he would take a bit of beating if he handled the track.''

The Stuart Coltherd-trained gelding Overcourt (Sam Coltherd) ran a blinder on his first start for 654 days in the valuable 2m4f Falcons Events Proudly Support Hexham Racecourse Novices' Limited Handicap Chase, making most of the running until headed on the run-in by hat-trick seeking Greystoke raider Universal Folly (Sean Quinlan) who stayed on best to win by one-and-three-quarter lengths and extend Quinlan's lead in the 2023 Hexham Leading Jockey Championship.

Jimmy Moffatt's Cartmel raider Our Sam (Charlotte Jones) also completed a hat-trick in the 2m7f First Class Catering From Falcons Events Handicap Hurdle Race.

Patiently ridden, the seven-year-old made steady headway from three out to move into second place up the hill behind Shoeshine Boy (Craig Nichol). They were in the air together at the last before Charlotte's mount hit the front on the run-in and was always doing enough in the closing stages to score by three-quarters-of-a-length.

The next meetings at Hexham are on Friday, November 10 (First race at 12.25pm) and Wednesday, November 22 (First race at 12.15pm). In addition, the course hosts the Border Point-to-Point fixture on Sunday, December 3 where a six-race card starts at 12.30pm.