Susan celebrates a double success at Hexham course

Always prominent from the off behind odds-on favourite and recent course winner Pike Road (Freddie Keighley) in the 2m4f Northumberland County Show Novices' Hurdle Race, unfancied Late Night Drama hit the front soon after turning for home, and quickened up well when Nathan Moscrop pressed the button to win, going away, by six lengths at odds of 50-1.

Carrying the colours of Samantha Toomes, the six-year-old mare changed hands privately in March after finishing in the first four on each of her last four Pointing starts in Ireland.

Corbett said of her new recruit: "She has improved mightily from her first race for us at Perth last month because Nathan got off her that day and said she's very moderate.

"We were all a bit worried about today's race, but obviously she's got fitter and learned her job a lot more.

"It's taken her longer to settle in than we anticipated after coming over from Ireland, but it looks like she's alright now."

Half-an-hour later, See A Stride's victory in the valuable 2m4f Port Of Blyth Handicap Hurdle Race completed a 228-1 double for Corbett and stable jockey Moscrop. 

In a race of fluctuating fortunes, Lambourn raider Hardy Du Soleil (Joe Anderson) led narrowly until headed two out by 2024 winner Well Educated (Jonathon Bewley).

After being patiently ridden, See A Stride was still three lengths down in third at the last before engaging overdrive on the run-in to head Bewley's mount inside the final fifty yards and score by a length.

Related to jumps and pointing winners, According To John and Simple Glory, See A Stride was bought for only 1000 guineas at Tattersalls Online Sale in June 2024, and the bargain buy's Hexham success was the yard's 50th winner over jumps since the start of the 2019/20 season.

On a card where all seven favourites were beaten, Man Of Action (Dylan Johnston) had kick-started proceedings with a first career win in the 2m7f Tynedale Agricultural Society Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Hurdle Race.

Always prominent, the five-year-old went second two out behind Powers Dilemma (Peter Kavanagh) before taking it up at the last and then stayed on strongly in the closing stages to score by one-and-a-half lengths.

The youngster finished unplaced in six starts in Ireland for Andrew Kinirons before joining Gary Rutherford's yard near Camptown in the Scottish Borders four months ago.

As well as being a full brother to Rockfish who was a five-time winner on the Flat for Joseph O'Brien, Man Of Action is related to Air Marshall who won the Group 2 Great Voltigeur Stakes at York and finished runner-up in the Group 1 St Leger Stakes at Doncaster.

Johnston said: "I thought coming here he had a little bit of a chance as he's an unexposed sort running in a handicap without a lot of depth.

"He jumped well, travelled nicely through the race, is still learning and will hopefully keep progressing."

Sonning (Jamie Hamilton) tried hard to make all the running in the 2m Port Of Blyth Handicap Chase, but had nothing more to give when headed by course winner Dream Jet (Craig Nichol) coming up the hill after two out.

In command at the last, Nichol's mount kept on well to beat favourite Willie Shake Hands (Jonathan England) by a comfortable three lengths, with the market leader unable to land a blow after making a few mistakes.

Nichol said: "He's a really slick jumper and needs an end-to-end gallop over this trip. 

"He loves this quicker ground and was gaining lengths at his fences.

"I got a breather into him coming down the hill after four out and made sure we didn't hit the front too soon."

Royal Deeside (Harry Reed) gave a faultless exhibition of fast, fluent jumping to land a first success on his 24th career start under all codes in the 2m4f Port Of Blyth Novices' Handicap Chase.

Sent straight to the front, the five-year-old didn't see another rival and never looked like being pegged back on the run-in by favourite Am Still Here (Sean Quinlan), who was still three-and-a-half lengths down at the finish.

Owned by Kevin Jardine and Roger Morrison, Royal Deeside was a first winner over jumps for Merseyside trainer Patrick Morris since the 2009/10 season.

Reed said: "The plan was always to jump off nice and handy, and he really enjoyed himself out in front.

"He met every fence perfectly, winged the last, and galloped all the way to the line."

The winning jockey is also a useful cricketer and scored 13 not out for Newbrough in their West Tyne Midweek League match against Haltwhistle the following evening.

Kicksaftersix (Sean Quinlan) completed a Hexham hat-trick in the space of five weeks in the 3m Lynn Siddall Memorial Handicap Chase, in which eight of the 19 fences were omitted due to the low sun.

Lizzie Quinlan's evergreen 12-year-old gelding Muroor, who made his racecourse debut at Goodwood in September 2015 when trained by Marcus Tregoning, looked like showing his younger rivals the way home under Danny McMenamin when still two lengths up at the last before victory was snatched away in the dying strides by Kicksaftersix's late thrust which secured an unlikely neck verdict for Martin Todhunter's charge.

Quinlan said: "The fences kept him interested and the only place he didn't travel was up the home straight on both circuits where the fences were missed out. 

"At one stage I didn't think he was going to get there, but he just keeps on improving and loves it round here. 

"He's won three on the bounce and anything after this will be a bonus.

"Martin has done well with him as he's a handful at home, and the step up to three miles has been the making of him."

The concluding 2m Happy Retirement Charlo Handicap Hurdle Race celebrated the career of former jumps jockey Steve Charlton who recently called time on a 38-year stint as a jockeys' valet.

Three days after finishing a well beaten eighth at Bangor-on-Dee, Blended Stealth (Peter Kavanagh) rounded off a night of surprise results with a first win on his 36th career start.

Always in touch with the leaders, the eight-year-old went clear after two out and stayed on strongly to beat Allbetsoff (Jonathon Bewley) by four-and-a-half lengths, with favourite Grand Scheme (Jonathan England) a further half length away in fourth after making too many mistakes.

The runner-up shaped well on his first outing for Cumbrian trainer Kevin Hunter after being claimed for £6,000 following his fourth place finish in a Hexham Selling Hurdle on May 3, while Appleby trainer Lizzie Quinlan thought the winner was suited by the drop in trip and a return to good ground.

The next two meetings at Hexham are on Saturday, (First Race at 4.05pm) and Saturday, June 14 (First Race at 4.20pm).