Hawick hat-trick at the races

Joanna Walton, Harriett Bryce and Tom Hamilton all rode winners at Kelso’s Friars Haugh course, where the new tent and paddock layout was well received by racegoers.

The Hawick treble was started by Joanna, who produced a late challenge on Molten Brown to claim a half-length victory over favourite Great Gusto in the opening Storagexpress and Border Berries Border Hunts Club members race – the first leg of the new MKM Building Supplies series.

The winner carries the colours of Northern Area secretary Tony Hogarth, from Galashiels, for whom the success proved a welcome boost.

Harriett Bryce (22) is employed by Selkirk trainer Stuart Coltherd, whose wife Lesley is responsible for Damiens Dilemma – winner of the Skinner’s Pet Foods ladies’open race.

Harriett clinched success by a neck agaisnt fellow Selkirk rider Rachael McDonald to take the spoils for Northern Area chairman Robert Miller-Bakewell, from Melrose.

“He jumped brilliantly and I just love him,” said Harriett of the nine-year-old horse.

Completing the trio was Tom Hamilton, who had flown from Joseph O’Brien’s yard in Ireland the previous evening to partner Cave Hunter, trained by his mother Wendy, to a comfortable win in the Gain Horse Feeds men’s open race.

The gelding had been due to run in a hunter chase at Kelso the previous week.

“We took him out, as the ground was heavy and he was giving weight away,” explained Wendy.

Wooler-based Tocky McKie saddled her home-bred Takethepunishment to a 5-1 victory – the longest-priced success of the afternoon - in the concluding Turcan Connell and Billy Stenhouse Memorial open maiden race.

“I’m so chuffed as it’s taken a lot of work to get him right,” said Tocky, who credited winning jockey Nick Orpwood for much of the success.

The Bevin family was rewarded for a lengthy 500-mile round trip with its first-ever double, after Oakham raider For A Change scored in a thrilling finish to the Musselburgh Racecourse and Royal Dick Vet intermediate race, and stablemate Dynamic Island justified hot favouritism to head the Edmund Vestey restricted race.

“That’s four winners for the yard and five for me, and our first-ever double,” said winning jockey Rory, in his final year studying agriculture at Newcastle University.

Only two went to post in the Jockey Club and Charlotte Agnew Eventing mares’ maiden race, with Premier Blanc left solo after the first to take victory in the hands of 19-year-old Henry Morshead. Results:

Border Hunts – 1 Molten Brown (J. Walton) 9-4, 2 Great Gusto (W. Ramsay) evs fav, 3 The Ice Factor (J. Wright) 7-2. Five ran. 1/2l; 4l. Tony Hogarth, Lauderdale.

Intermediate – 1 For A Change (R. Bevin) 7-4, 2 Fight Away Boys (G. Crow) 4-6 fav, 3 Seeyouincourt (J. Andrews) 10-1. Seven ran. 1/2l; 1l. J. Bevin, Qourn. (L. Bevin).

Ladies’ Open – 1 Damiens Dilemma (H. Bryce) 7-4, 2 Wind of Hope (R. McDonald) 4-6 fav, 3 Oscar Stanley (J. Walton) 3-1. Five ran. Nk; 4l. R Miller-Bakewell, Duke of Buccleuch’s (Lesley Coltherd).

Men’s Open – 1 Cave Hunter (T. Hamilton) 2-5 fav, 2 Top Cat Henry (C. Alexander) 5-2, 3 Shannon Silver (H. Morshead) 5-1. Eight ran. 6l; 8l. N. Manning, Jedforest (Wendy Hamilton).

Restricted – 1 Dynamic Island (R. Bevin) 1-3 fav, 2 Asheanymoney (J. Andrew) 7-1, 3 Eco Warrior (N. Orpwood) 3-1. Six ran. 2l; 2l. J. Bevin, Quorn (L. Bevin).

Mares’ maiden – 1 Premier Blanc (H. Morshead) 4-5 fav. Two ran, only one finished. Lord Leigh, Middleton (Anthea Morshead).

Open maiden – 1 Takethepunishment (N. Orpwood) 5-1, 2 Towerburn (J. Wright) 3-1, 3 Hey Listen (D. Delahunt) evs fav. Twelve ran. 2l; 3l. I. McKie, College Valley, and N. Northumberland (Jessica McKie).