The Northern Area Point-to-Point season ended on a high at Hexham last Saturday with 55 runners on the Haydon's seven race card enjoyed by a bumper crowd in the sunshine.

Local trainers Charlotte Tailford and David Parker had plenty to celebrate after sending out Famous Response and Shantou's Temple to land the opening two contests.

First-time cheekpieces worked the oracle with Famous Response who seemed to relish the soft ground and true test of stamina on his eighth start of the campaign in the WMH Quality Catering Conditions Race. Never far off the pace, the ten-year-old was produced by Tailford to dispute the lead at the last with Not The Chablis before finding plenty when the chips were down on the long run-in to see off odds-on favourite Eagle Rock's late challenge by a head. Ask Cory (Chloe McHattie) finished an honourable fourth on his final start before retirement, beaten under four lengths, under top weight of 12st10lb. 

Almost 17 years to the day since his dam Temple Green got off the mark at Hexham, Shantou's Temple did likewise in the High Plains Maiden Race despite losing both hind shoes during the contest. Always going well under Joe Wright, he went on three out and quickly settled the issue before coasting home twenty lengths ahead of So Be It (Dominic Hislop).

Malton-based owner/trainer/rider Jack Teal enhanced his impressive strike rate in recent weeks with victory on Wotnowcato in the 2m4f Jacksons of Hexham Maiden Race. Sent on after two out, the youngster kept on well to beat Hollywood Harmon (Pippa Brown) by three lengths and Teal is confident he will be even better next season on a sounder surface. The winner was bought for £7,000 at the Goffs UK Doncaster Store Sale in May 2022 and might well have won on debut at Brocklesby Park earlier in the season had he not fallen at the last. Teal took his seasonal tally to 12 when scoring on Boots Folly at Tabley on Sunday.

Dropped in trip and carrying at least 15lb less than he had done when scoring three times in Men's Open company earlier this term, Buster Valentine provided 17-year-old Eleanor Clark with a memorable first winner on only her second ride between the flags in the 2m4f Graham Reader Motor Engineer Ladies Open Race. Will Milburn's charge stayed on strongly in the closing stages to beat Humps And Bumps (Jemima Stewart) by twelve lengths. An ecstatic Clark, currently doing an apprenticeship at Askham Bryan College, commented: ''He tanked me round'', while this was a 20th winner from 38 runners between the flags since February 2019 for Sheriff Hutton-based handler Will Milburn.

Envious Editor's belated seasonal debut in the JS Hubbuck Ltd Maling Trophy Mixed Open Race was a winning one in the hands of Bristol University final year student Henry Crow. Confidently ridden, the ten-year-old tracked the leaders on the final circuit before surging to the front at the last and went on to score by a comfortable five lengths from Warwickshire raider Dundrum Wood Martha Reeve).

This was a first winner for Shropshire trainer Caroline Crow who had been in two minds whether to run her stable star on the soft ground after making the 4-hour journey from Hadnall. His next outing is likely to be at the Stratford Hunters' Chase meeting on May 31.

After finally overhauling long-time leader Bestfriend Barnaby (Guy Sankey) two out, Thomas Easterby's mount Lou Marvelous sprinted clear on the run-in to take the Insync Physiotherapy & Sports Injury Clinic Restricted Race in great style by twelve lengths and this talented seven-year-old Masked Marvel gelding looks one to follow next season.

Former 148-rated chaser Canelo rolled back the years with a first win since December 2020 in the Lycetts Conditions Race. Given a peach of a ride by Natasha Cookson, he took it up three out and stayed on strongly to beat ex-chaser Raecius Felix (Cerys Murray) by eight lengths. This was a first training success for Great Smeaton-based Thomas Fife who bought the evergreen eleven-year-old privately seven weeks ago out of Ben Haslam's Middleham yard. Cookson is now joint leader with Anna Johnston in the National Novice Riders Ladies Championship.

As usual, the main action was preceded by two pony races sponsored by DJ & SJ Recycling. Last month's Corbridge scorer Greenbarrow Goldsmith (Hugo Murray) followed up in the 138cm Open contest from Silver (Freya Ainslie) and Africa (Harley Blackwood), with the winner having made the 380-mile round trip from Whitchurch while the third was the day's longest traveller having made the marathon 630-mile round trip from Wickford, Essex.

Judge Fox secured his 10th win in the last two seasons under Kaden Beasley in the 148cm Open contest, with the minor placings filled by I'm Making It (Cara Tuke) and Dino Royale (Robyn Coulson).

For the record, this season's eight Northern Area fixtures had a total of 396 runners with a healthy average of 7.61 per race, while the ratio of runners to individual horses entered was one of the highest in the country at 77.04%.

Nick Orpwood won the Hexham Auction Mart Company Ltd-sponsored Men's Jockeys Championship, Amy Coltherd won the Perth Racecourse-sponsored Ladies title, while Eloise Justice-Vose won the NPPA Novice Riders title in her first season.

The George F. White Champion Horse Award went to Oscar Wilde, while Eagles Rock won the Novice Horse equivalent and She Is The Enemy was the leading mare. Appropriately, the Buccleuch Arms, St Boswells-sponsored leading hunts awards were won by the Duke of Buccleuch's (36pts), with the minor placings filled by Morpeth (27pts) and Jedforest (26pts).