Cumbrian trio experience success at the Hexham course

George Bewley's recent acquisition Winds Of Winter (Joe Williamson) scored impressively in the 2m Fortune Favours The Brave Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Hurdle Race.

Always going well just behind the leaders, the seven-year-old cruised up the hill after two out to hit the front off the home turn.

After forging five lengths clear approaching the last, she still had plenty left in the tank as she crossed the line 11 lengths in front of rank outsider Mr Rumbalicious (Leah Noreci).

Bought for £12,200 at the auction immediately after landing a 2m1f Cartmel Selling Handicap Hurdle a shade cosily on May 28, the winner has scope for further improvement and is definitely one to follow.

This was a 65th career success under Rules for Williamson, who has been attached to Phil Kirby's East Appleton yard near Richmond since March 2020.

Wind Of Winter's stable companion Follow Your Arrow (Jonathon Bewley) found only one too good for the second week in a row at Hexham in the 2m Andy Calvert Celebration Handicap Chase.

The gallant nine-year-old made virtually every yard of the running until headed inside the final furlong by Conquer The Breeze (Charlie Price), who was produced with a perfectly timed challenge to score by one-and-three-quarter lengths after looking as though he still had plenty to do in fifth place two out.

This was a welcome first winner of the new jumps season for Brampton-based trainer Maurice Barnes, with nine of his other 16 runners placed, while it was also a 65th career success for his Wiltshire-based stable jockey.

Following victories on the Flat by Coconut Bay and Iris Dancer earlier in the week, Getaway Frankie (Robbie Dunne) kept the bandwagon rolling for Tristan Davidson's Irthington yard with a surprise win at odds of 40-1 in the 2m Lisa Bond Celebration Novices' Hurdle Race.

Always prominent, the former Nicky Richards-trained six-year-old quickened three lengths clear approaching the last and never looked like being pegged back by odds-on favourite Sharp Glance (Tom Bellamy) in the closing stages.

Despite not jumping as fluently as usual, Halfway House Lad (Charlie Price) looked all set to complete a double for trainer Maurice Barnes in the 3m Cleansweep Handicap Chase until headed inside the last fifty yards by Ballydangan (Peter Kavanagh) and going down by a length.

Bought privately out of Dan Skelton's yard earlier this year by Alnwick permit holder Hugh Burns, the eight-year-old was breaking his duck at the 32nd time of asking under all codes.

The victory ended a barren spell for Burns, who has only sent out 4 winners from 184 runners over jumps since the start of the 2012/13 season.

Last month's Hexham winner Miss Maverick (James Davies) made a bold bid for glory on her hat-trick bid in the valuable 2m4f Tileform Handicap Hurdle Race, leading from the off until headed inside the final furlong by Johnson's Blue (Tom Midgley) and Fingal's Hill (Henry Brooke).

Midgley's mount looked like making it five wins from five visits to Hexham when edging in front but the eight-year-old's 100 per cent record at the track disappeared when Fingal's Hill late thrust saw him lead in the dying strides to secure a short head verdict.

This latest success off a career-high mark of 130 provided his Northallerton-based owner/trainer Peter Atkinson with a 40th winner under Rules since 2005.

Matchless (Sean Quinlan) completed a hat-trick in the 2m7f ukvinylmemories.co.uk Vinyl Record Gifts Handicap Hurdle Race but it might have been a different story had My Friend Yeats (Nathan Moscrop) not fallen at the last when disputing the lead.

Quinlan's mount was left clear to win by six lengths from Robert D'Ores (Jonathon Bewley).

Favourite backers finally had something to celebrate when Matching Energy (Danny McMenamin) landed the concluding 2m Brocksbushes Open National Hunt Flat Race.

Always prominent, the four-year-old took it up from Looks Matter (Joe Williamson) more than a furlong from home and just did enough in the closing stages to keep his rival at bay by a head.

Susan Corbett's home-bred debutante Dotties Promise caught the eye a further one-and-a-quarter lengths away in third.

This made it two winners from two runners in the new jumps season for Lockerbie trainer Daragh Bourke, with Matching Energy appropriately carrying the colours of Bourke's yard sponsor L.I.P. Construction Ltd's director Scott Lowther.

McMenamin, 25, who got married the following day, said: ''You don't normally get a reception like that in the winners' enclosure at Hexham, and it's the first time my grandfather has seen me ride a winner in public - that means a lot.

''It's brilliant to have all my family here from Ireland and my grandfather is the reason I got into the game.

''He bought me my first racing pony which turned out to be a bit of a superstar.''

The last action at Hexham before the course's two-month summer break is on Sunday, when the popular Ladies Day meeting starts at 2.18pm.