£4,000 prize kitty for Hawick Moor race meeting causes a bit of a flap

A four-strong racecard was rounded out by a pony race for riders under the age of 16 and two races in honour of current Hawick Cornet Greig Middlemass.

Victory in the opening pony race at 5.15pm went to Cadyn Borthwick.

Both cornet’s races, restricted to members of the Mosstroopers’ club riding horses used to follow the cornet at this year’s Hawick Common Riding, were won by Millie Young, earning her the victor trophy and the coronation cup.

The evening’s first flap, the 5.45pm Denholm Stakes, a mile-and-a-half race for the Jimmy Richardson Cup and £1,000 prize money, attracted a field of only three. Selkirk winner Mansfield, ridden by Zander Voy, was favourite and proceeded to show why, having the race under control and winning by a distance from Easy Tiger, with Cypriot Prince back in third place.

That was followed at 6.10pm by the mile-long Mosspaul Handicap, the day’s feature race, offering £1,200 in prize money. Once again, there were only three runners and victory went to the one with Voy in the saddle.

Beautiful Sunday was first past the post by two lengths from Seven Up and Shay’s Girl was a further four lengths back.

The meeting’s third flap, the £1,000 Lilliesleaf handicap contested over a mile and a quarter at 6.35pm, attracted a bigger turnout, however, its field of six equalling the total number of runners up to that point.

It was won by Big Innes by eight lengths, giving 14-year-old jockey Shay Farmer his first victory on the flapping circuit. Royal Shaheen was runner-up, with Grey Boy not far behind in third place.

Cash It In slipped and unseated jockey Rhys Elliot but both emerged unharmed.

The final race of the evening, the 7pm Cavers Handicap over seven furlongs for £1,000 in prize money, went the way of Hard to Get Him, an Irish raider trained by Mick Flannery and with Paddy Hanlon as jockey.

Second among the four entries was another Irish horse, Northern Star, and Tap on the Bar took third place.