LONG-DISTANCE travellers were worth following at Hexham last Saturday, with four of the seven races won by horses trained at Lambourn, Leighton Buzzard, Rugby and Waltham on the Wolds.
Conditional jockey Isabelle Ryder, 23, enjoyed a memorable first ride at the track as she partnered Lambourn raider Roger Pol to victory in the valuable 3m Empower Her Stakes Handicap Hurdle.
It was a second win in the space of a week for the Jamie Snowden-trained seven-year-old, with Ryder aboard on both occasions, and this latest success under a 7lb penalty was Ryder's fourth winner in October from just six rides.
After hitting the front approaching the final hurdle, he kept on strongly to score by three lengths from Idem (Patrick Wadge).
Ryder said: “He only ran six days ago at Uttoxeter so he's backed it up really well. With it being a small field I just wanted to make sure it didn't turn into a sprint.
“He jumped really well. We know he stays, but he's also got a good turn of foot and I had a nice position turning in to kick on.
“It's my favourite course now, it's quite unique with all the ups and downs.”
Waltham on the Wolds trainer Laura Morgan landed her seventh winner of the 2025-26 jumps season with We Got Your Back (Brian Hughes) in the 2m Community Champions Cup Handicap Chase.
Freshened up by a 113-day break, the seven-year-old was always close up and, after jumping the last with long-time leader O'Faolains Glory (Conor Rabbitt), found extra inside the final furlong to prevail by one-and-a-quarter lengths.
Morgan's yard is operating at a healthy 28 per cent strike-rate this term, while nobody could begrudge the ultra-consistent We Got Your Back's return to winning ways after being placed on his six previous starts over fences.
Odds-on favourite Pismo Beach (Charlie Hammond) enhanced Leighton Buzzard trainer Stuart Edmunds' already impressive strike-rate at Hexham in the 2m5f Inclusive Impact Cup Mares' Maiden Hurdle.
Confidently ridden off the pace, the five-year-old made steady headway from six out to hit the front soon after turning for home. In command at the last, Hammond's mount still had a comfortable two-and-a-half lengths in hand over Highbury Hill (Bryan Carver) at the line despite idling a bit in the closing stages.
The concluding 2m1f L&R Pest Control Services Open National Hunt Flat Race was run at a pedestrian pace until the last two furlongs, and resulted in a blanket finish with the first four covered by only three-quarters-of-a-length.
Well related Tony Joe (Jack Andrews), home-bred by owner Don Constable and trained at Marton near Rugby by former champion point-to-point handler Tom Ellis, engaged top gear to lead against the near-side rail a furlong out and just held on to beat debutant Get On George (Peter Kavanagh) by a nose, with Susan Corbett-trained Freddie Steady Go (Nathan Moscrop) - who was conceding 9lb to the winner - half-a-length away in third.
6ft 4in Andrews, the tallest jumps jockey on this side of the Irish Sea, turned professional for the second time in June and this was a 59th career success under Rules in addition to his 200 winners between the flags.
He said: “We just crawled down the hill on the final circuit, and I was thinking they're never going to quicken, but Tony Joe found plenty when I pressed the button and had his head down at the right time when we hit the line.”
Imperfectlyperfect (Derek Fox) got his hurdling career off to a perfect start by landing the 2m1f Touch And Try Trophy Novices' Hurdle Race.
The five-year-old dictated a steady pace from the off and was always doing enough in the closing stages to keep a wall of three horses at bay. He crossed the line one length ahead of At Vimiero (Richie McLernon), with Tineggiori (Jamie Hamilton) a short head away in third, and Welsh raider Tamarind Bay (Shane Fenelon) a further length back in fourth.
There was another exciting finish in the valuable 2m4f Positive Change Plate Novices' Limited Handicap Chase, with Sandy Thomson-trained I Am Max (Craig Nichol) scraping home by a rapidly diminishing head from Florida Dreams (Brian Hughes).
The runner-up can be considered an unlucky loser after the saddle slipped at the second fence before losing ground and momentum with a mistake four out. Still five lengths down entering the final furlong, the seven-year-old finished like a train and would won in a few more strides.
Nichol said of the winner: “He jumped ok but still has a lot to learn and will be better on a flat track.''
The complexion of the 3m1f Hitz Horizons Handicap Chase changed when long time leader Easy Bucks (Shane Fenelon) fell three out when still going easily.
His departure saw No Regrets (Sean Quinlan), who had been prominent from the off, hit the front before the last but the eleven-year-old had nothing more to give when headed on the run-in by Ribeye (Danny McMenamin). The latter drew clear to score by two-and-a-quarter lengths, and give McMenamin, 25, a 299th career winner under Rules.
The next 2 meetings at Hexham are on Friday, November 7 (First Race at 12.25pm) and Wednesday, November 19 (First Race at 12.48pm).
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