GREAT Bavington near Capheaton trainer Ann Hamilton and jockey Danny McMenamin are usually a combination to follow, and they teamed up land a double at Carlisle's first meeting of the new jumps season last Thursday.
Dare To Shout set the ball rolling when justifying favouritism under top-weight in the valuable 3m Vesta Wealth Handicap Chase, which produced a thrilling finish with the first four separated by under a length.
On his first start since April, the eight-year-old was always in touch with the leaders and, after going second at the last, hit the front up the run-in and just held on by a neck from Inis Oirr (Derek Fox), with pace-setting Jet Legs (Callum Bewley) a head away in third.
McMenamin, 25, who partnered a landmark 300th winner under Rules at Wetherby the previous day, said: "He thought he'd won the race after the last, but then they all came to him. To his credit, he stuck his neck out again.
"We always thought he'd stay three miles and, if anything, he's enjoyed the better ground today."
Dare To Shout's next outing is likely to be in the 2m4f Colin Parker Memorial Intermediate Chase (Class 1) at Carlisle on Sunday, November 2.
Completing the double was 7-2 shot Hello Judge, who was also making his seasonal reappearance at his favourite track, and has now won five of 10 starts at Carlisle.
He came home in front in the 2m4f Eddie Wannop Handicap Chase, jumping well all the way and beating Busty Boy (Callum Bewley) by three-quarters of a length.
McMenamin said of the nine-year-old: "He seems to enjoy being able to dominate in his races.
"He's got a big, long stride and the way he jumps - he just likes to get on with things. He's tough and has done it well in the end.
"Every time he's won round here, he's had to dig deep and one thing I've always felt is when he gets in a battle he's a very hard horse to beat.
"Ann and her husband Ian do a brilliant job with their small team of horses and have a great strike rate."
Based at Claywalls Farm about 15 miles from Hexham, Ann has sent out more than 150 winners over jumps since May 2001, and indicated that Hello Judge could run next in the valuable 2m4f Unibet Handicap Chase (Class 3) at Hexham on Friday, November 7.
There was a popular local success in the concluding 2m1f Margaret Long Memorial Open National Hunt Flat Race for Nobotheratall (Harry Reed), owned by Steven Wilson Ltd and trained at nearby Irthington by Tristan Davidson.
Having only his second start for the yard, the ex-Irish five-year-old made all the running, and kept on well up the hill in the closing stages to keep Susan Corbett-trained Knockeranna Rose (Conor Rabbitt) at bay by three-quarters of a length, with the latter's stable companion Red Dart (Nathan Moscrop) a further two-and-a-quarter lengths away in fourth.
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