OTTERBURN trainers Susan Corbett and Jane Walton were both celebrating a winner at Newcastle Races last Saturday courtesy of Fairly Fulling and Goodoldbill.
It's been a tricky few months for Susan's yard since O'Faolains Glory scored at Musselburgh on December 22, but she had plenty to smile about after Fairly Fulling (Patrick Wadge) led home Ratemenow (Nathan Moscrop) for a stable one-two in the 2m4f Smirnoff At The Apartment Grand Wedding Handicap Hurdle to take her seasonal tally to 10.
Fairly Fulling headed pace-setting Ratemenow before three out and kept on well to score by three-and-a-half lengths.
After only managing a handful of fourth-place finishes from 26 runners in January and February, it looks like better times lie ahead as the yard has now recorded two seconds and a winner from just three runners in March.
Corbett said: “We've had a bit of a lull as most trainers have in their worlds.
“We started off the season with some winners and then we went very quiet. We had various allergies and whatever, and we were hoping today that we'd turned a corner but didn't think we'd turned it that well.”
Owned by Gary Satchwell, Fairly Fulling was picked up from Corbett's near neighbour Jane Walton in September and was getting off the mark at the 17th attempt under Rules.
She added: “Fairly Fulling is in a family and village syndicate, and Gary actually does our accounts.
“Fairly Fulling thinks he's racing even in his work at home and I bought him from Jane because he was proving to be a bit of a handful. He's finally done it though and I also think the runner-up is a very good horse in the making.”
After a string of disappointing runs since winning at Newcastle in November 2023, retirement was on the cards for Goodoldbill prior to the 10-year-old getting his career back on track with a pillar to post victory at Sedgefield on February 19, and Jane Walton's rejuvenated gelding proved that was no fluke by following up off bottom weight in the 2m7f Tanqueray At Say When Ponteland Handicap Chase.
Given another positive ride by Charlie Maggs, Goodoldbill was always in the first two and, after taking it up again from Lord De Vinci (Callum Bewley) approaching four out, stayed on well up the home straight to beat Swallows Song (Sean Quinlan) by three-quarters-of-a-length.
After being forced to abandon last week's first meeting of 2026 due to high winds, Hexham Racecourse will be hoping for better luck with the weather for their next scheduled fixture on Wednesday, March 25, where a six-race card starts at 2.11pm.
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