HORSE RACING:WHILE the fashion stakes were as high as normal for Hexham Racecourse‘s popular Ladies’ Day, the racing stakes were equally impressive on the track.

With 80 runners declared from throughout Britain and Ireland, the last race had to be split into two divisions resulting in a bumper eight race card as Yarridge Heights continues to gain the attention of owners, trainers and jockeys.

There was a four-and-a-half length victory in the opening race, a Conditional Jockeys’ Selling Hurdle, for 11-year-old What A Steel (15/2) trained at Hawick by Alistair Whillans and ridden by Craig Nichol.

Despite a four and a half length victory there were no bids for the winner in the subsequent auction.

Thirteen runners went to post for the Novices’ Hurdle in which victory went to 6/4 favourite Owen Na View, ridden by Paddy Brennan, which had made the long journey from Fergal O’Brien’s stable at Cheltenham.

Among the eight runners in the feature race of the afternoon, the Totequadpot Four Places In Four Races Handicap Chase, there were three which had scored previously at Hexham.

And the race resulted in another win for a Hawick trainer with George Bewley‘s Chicago Outfit (7/2) giving jockey Jonathon Bewley a hat-trick of course wins.

After the race, actor Robson Green presented the owner trainer with a memento.

There was another action replay at Hexham in the next race, the Mytotepool.com Novices Chase as two previous winners at Hexham this year fought out the finish.

And victory went to 6/5 favourite Vodka Wells, trained by Micky Hammond at Middleham and ridden by Jamie Bargary, gained a two-and-a-half length victory from Gold Futures (7/4), trained by Nicky Richards at Greystoke and ridden by Brian Harding.

Surprise of the afternoon came from 12/1 outsider Serenity Now, trained by Brian Ellison at Malton and ridden by Craig Gallagher, as he won the Handicap Hurdle by three lengths.

Earlier the favourite top weight Tekthelot unshipped jockey Brian Hughes at the seventh obstacle.

Of the 14 runners in the Handicap Chase, Solway Legend (15/2) trained by Lisa Harrison at Wigton and ridden by Ryan Day went one better to record a victory by four lengths after finishing second at Hexham 15 days previously.

In the split bumper, The Totepool Racing’s Biggest Supporter Handicap Hurdle, saw Division One won by the favourite Baraboy (2/1fav.), trained by Barry Murtagh at Carlisle and ridden by Diarmuid O’Regan, by two-and-a-half lengths.

A local combination of Morpeth trainer James Walton and jockey Catherine Walton saw them to glory in Division Two on Roll of Thunder at generous odds of 25/1. The racecourse will enjoy a summer break until September.