Updated: Borders jockey Ryan Mania notches up 204/1 winning treble at New Year’s Day meeting at Musselburgh Racecourse

The 2013 Merseyside Grand National winner rode 13/8 favourite Bringbackmemories, a four-year-old bay gelding, to victory for Irish trainer John McConnell in the day’s opener, the 12.25pm Fitzdares First Foot Juvenile Hurdle.

The Galashiels-born 33-year-old then pulled off a 25/1 upset with Large Action for North Yorkshire’s Roger Fell in the 2.10pm Fitzdares New Year’s Day Novices’ Handicap Chase, the seven-year-old bay gelding finishing 13 lengths clear of runner-up Dr Shirocco, trained at Yetholm by Sandy Forster and ridden by Patrick Wadge.

Mania notched up his hat-trick with 2/1 favourite Benson in the concluding 3.20pm Fitzdares Hair of the Dog Handicap Hurdle for his father-in-law Sandy Thomson’s Lambden stables, near Kelso, taking its £10,562 top prize and giving the eight-year-old bay gelding his first win since December 2020.

“It was great to win on the first and last horses as they are owned by Jimmy Fyffe, who I know really well, so I’m delighted for him,” he said afterwards.

“Large Action hadn’t run over fences before and hadn’t achieved a great deal as a hurdler but he jumped pretty well for me out there today.”

Thomson and Mania weren’t the Borders’ only winners in East Lothian as 9/4 favourite Brandy McQueen, with Edward Austin riding, finished first in the 1pm Fitzdares Happy New Year Handicap Hurdle for Camptown training partnership Harriet Graham and Gary Rutherford, the six-year-old bay gelding crossing the line two lengths clear of Lock Down Luke, trained at Lilliesleaf by Jackie Stephen and ridden by Sean Quinlan, for his first victory since May.

Rutherford said: “He’s handled the soft ground and been a real star this season.

“He’s so consistent and will make a lovely chaser one day.”

Graham and Rutherford’s Shoughall’s Boy had to settle for fourth place in the 2.10pm race at 12/1.

Thomson’s Cedar Hill, with Derek Fox riding, finished fifth in the 1.35pm Fitzdares Auld Reekie Handicap Chase, three places behind Selkirk trainer Stuart Coltherd and his jockey son Sam’s Cooper’s Cross.

That race’s £15,609 top prize went to 5/2 favourite Minella Drama, ridden by Brian Hughes for Cheshire’s Donald McCain Jr.