FORMER champion jumps jockey Brian Hughes, 41, who recently recorded a landmark 2,000th career winner at Perth, rewarded his followers with a double on Mr McCloughlan and Frisky Whiskey at Hexham last Friday where favourites landed five of the seven races.
Representing the in-form Adrian Keatley yard, Mr McCloughlan travelled strongly in a first-time hood in the valuable 2m Jewson Hexham Handicap Hurdle and was always in touch with the leaders.
After heading market rival Moveit Like Minnie (Sam Twiston-Davies) at the last, the six-year-old asserted on the flat to score by two-and-a-quarter lengths.
This was the winner's first start for Keatley since being bought for £60,000 out of Jack Jones' Newmarket yard at Goffs UK Doncaster Sales in May.
Hughes doubled up on progressive mare Frisky Whiskey in the 2m7f Heath RUFC A-Safe Handicap Hurdle - his 50th winner for Malton trainer Brian Ellison.
After being patiently ridden in rear from the off, the five-year-old made smooth headway up the hill after two out to challenge pace-setting Scottish Dancer (Harry Reed) at the last before finding extra inside the final half-furlong to secure a one-and-a-half lengths verdict.
The winner was shrewdly picked up as an unraced four-year-old for only £1,260 out of Dan Skelton's yard through the Tattersalls Online Sale in March 2025.
Lambourn raider Ride Like A Girl (Gavin Sheehan) made the near 600-mile round trip worthwhile when defying a 7lb penalty in the 2m David Clarke Memorial 'National Hunt' Novices' Hurdle.
Sent straight to the front by Sheehan, the five-year-old proceeded to make every yard of the running and brushed aside a late challenge from Dark Tide Rising (Kielan Woods) to score by three-quarters-of-a-length with her ears pricked to take trainer Jamie Snowden's overall record at Hexham to 14 winners from 45 runners.
“She deserved to win like that,” Snowden said.
“I thought her jumping was very slick and accurate. It's a long way to Hexham but it was a nice opportunity to defy a penalty and she did it well.”
At her best on a sound surface, the mare has been campaigned productively since undergoing wind surgery in March and will be kept on the boil until proper winter ground arrives.
Experienced Irish amateur jockey Noel McParlan, who partnered his first winner in May 2002, took his career tally under all codes to 345 (including 269 between the flags) on County Down raider Drumlee Myth, owned and trained by his father Sean, in the 2m4f Martin Bowler Memorial Novices' Limited Handicap Hurdle.
Returning from a 103-day break, Susan Corbett-trained Knockeranna Rose (Conor Rabbitt) dictated a decent pace until headed before the last by McParlan's mount who stayed on strongly to win, going away, by three-and-three-quarter lengths.
However, it might have been a different story had well-backed favourite Dante's Inferno, who was two lengths third at the time, not unseated David Noonan on the flat after two out due to the saddle slipping.
Ballynoe Boy posted a career-best effort when completing a hat-trick for jockey Danny McMenamin and Greystoke trainer Nicky Richards in the 2m4f El Tel's 61 Racecourses & Done Handicap Hurdle.
The six-year-old reeled in the leaders after two out before taking it up at the last from Well Educated (Jonathon Bewley), and had one-and-a-quarter lengths in hand at the line, with four-time course winner Les's Legacy a close third.
After making the perfect start for new connections at Cartmel five weeks ago, Illogical Logic (Ellis Collier) proved that was no fluke when following up in the 2m4f Davey Liddle Belated Birthday Handicap Chase and still looks to be well ahead of the handicapper.
Always prominent and jumping well throughout, the David Thompson-trained eight-year-old forged clear off the home turn and despite having his advantage reduced in the final half-furlong was always doing enough to score by one-and-a-half lengths from Kinbara Firstdraft (Derek Fox).
Recent recruit Stay Hopeful (Sean Bowen) provided County Meath trainer Cian Collins with a first Hexham winner in the concluding 3m Lee 'Bazza' Jenkinson Memorial Handicap Chase.
Produced with a well-timed challenge to press fellow Irish raider Deadheat (Noel McParlan) for the lead approaching the last, Bowen's mount took it up on the flat before drawing clear inside the final half-furlong to win, with plenty in hand, by three-and-a-half lengths.
This was a 65th winner of the season for champion jockey Bowen, who partnered a record-breaking 241 winners last term.
The next two meetings at Hexham are on Saturday (First Race at 1.43pm), and Tuesday, October 20, (First Race at 2.01pm).
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