Weather conditions were perfect for the bumper Ladies Day crowd of 2,277 at Hexham last Sunday and appropriately the first four races were all won by female trainers.
Susan Corbett's recent recruit from the northern point-to-point circuit Kilmore Rock came up trumps on his first start for her Otterburn yard in the second division of the 2m4f Tynedale Function Suite Maiden Hurdle Race.
Given a well judged front-running ride by Nathan Moscrop, the five-year-old increased the tempo after two out and travelled well up the hill before finding a bit extra to keep Droitwich raider R S Ambush (Lee Edwards) at bay on the run-in to score by half-a-length.
Bought privately from Malton-based point-to-point jockey and trainer Joe Wright after finishing runner-up to the highly rated Ira Hayes at Corbridge on April 20, this was a dream start for the gelding's owners, a new partnership comprising Ron Payne, Andy Bell, Mike Severs, Sheila Moffatt and Susan Corbett.
Pop The Question sprang a 50-1 shock under former champion jockey Brian Hughes in the first division of the 2m4f Tynedale Function Suite Maiden Hurdle Race.
Susan Mason's home-bred six-year-old mare looked well beaten in eighth place two out until staying on well up the hill past tiring rivals and was a close fourth at the last. Finding plenty on the run-in, she hit the front inside the final half-furlong and had a neck to spare at the line over fast-finishing favourite The Flying Poet (Sean Bowen).
Recently married Sheriff Hutton trainer Jacqueline Coward said: ''She's not had her ground throughout the point-to-point season, so finally it's stopped raining and she's got it and was able to show her true colours.''
Coward added: ''The result wasn't really a surprise. We always knew that if she got her ground she'd run well and I think this is her trip. She'll probably get a bit further, but I don't think she's a true out-and-out stayer like her dam Poppy Day who won the 4m1f Grimthorpe Gold Cup in 2010 and was only beaten a head by Special Portrait that season in the Heart Of All England Maiden Hunters' Chase at Hexham.''
Hughes completed a 433-1 double on course specialist Belvedere Blast in the 2m4f Jethro's Of Haltwhistle Cafe And Restaurant Handicap Hurdle Race.
Always prominent, the Adrian Keatley-trained gelding was just behind Parvos (Ryan Mania) approaching the last before edging in front inside the final fifty yards to score by half-a-length.
Hughes said: ''He's had plenty of racing and likes it here which counts for a lot but only ever does what he has to.''
Thirty minutes later, Mania went one better on Carcaci Castle in the 2m First Class Catering From Falcons Events Handicap Chase for his boss Sandy Thomson. The eight-year-old took it up from last week's course winner Going Mobile (Jonathan England) at the last before drawing clear on the run-in to beat Findthetime (Sam Coltherd) by two-and-three-quarter lengths.
This was his third win for Thomson's Greenlaw yard since being bought for £22,000 at Goffs UK Doncaster Sale in September 2021.
Mania said: ''He's not the most straightforward to train and is a bit fragile, so to keep him going and get him here in this order is a great effort by the team at home.''
Malangen (Bruce Lynn) was a popular winner of the opening 2m Paxton's Are Case IH's No.1 Dealer Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Hurdle Race for Wigton trainer Lisa Harrison.
Quickening clear after the third, the likeable nine-year-old maintained a relentless gallop and never looked like being pegged back by any of his fourteen rivals. He still had four-and-a-quarter lengths in hand over Kopa Kilana (Conor Rabbitt) at the finish and this four-time Perth winner heads back there next Thursday without having to carry a penalty for his Hexham victory.
Lynn said: ''He got in a good rhythm, fairly bounced off this better ground and has done it well in the end.''
The husband and wife team of Jonathan and Sam England continued their red-hot form when Jeteye cruised to victory in first-time blinkers in the 2m7f Langley Castle Hotel Supporting Ladies Day Novices' Handicap Hurdle Race.
Always prominent, Jonathan's mount led after three out and kept on strongly from the last to beat Wotyoudunnow Buddy (Nathan Moscrop) by three lengths.
This was a fourth winner from 18 runners in the past fortnight for Guiseley-based Sam. Her husband said: ''He didn't take to fences and I'm delighted for the owners who have been very patient. The blinkers definitely kept him interested as he's a bit of a lazy type and he was suited by the galloping track.''
Most of the afternoon's winners were ridden prominently and that was the case with Backbyjet (Craig Nichol) who didn't see another rival in the 2m4f Langley Castle An Award Winning Hotel Handicap Chase.
Jumping well all the way, the six-year-old faced a determined challenge from three out by Meetmeinthemorning (Ryan Mania) but did enough to keep him at bay by three-quarters-of-a-length, with the same margin back to Elleon (Jonathan England) in third.
Gerald Quinn's Ballymena raider Takt De Touques (Dara McGill) proved to be the only winning favourite on the eight-race card in the concluding 2m Join Us On Friday 4th October Open National Hunt Flat Race.
In the first two from the off, he was sent on after two furlongs and found another gear in the closing stages to score quite impressively by four-and-a-quarter lengths from another Irish raider Drumlee Myth (Noel McParlan).
Quinn's progressive five-year-old, who changed hands for 60,000 euros at Goffs Land Rover Sale in June 2022, has now completed a four-timer in the space of three months, comprising a Portrush Maiden Point-to-Point contest and three bumpers.
McGill, who won the Irish U21 Point-to-Point Jockeys title in 2023 and was making a first visit to Hexham, said: ''He's improved with every run and finds more when another horse comes to him.''
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here