Sunday saw the final meeting of the newly formed fixture list in Yorkshire as the Zetland and Cleveland came together to stage their meeting at Witton Castle. As with most meetings so far, this fixture was held behind closed doors and therefore no public was present, with only participants and officials allowed on the track.
Clerk of the Course Stuart Gibbon did a fantastic job in this current dry period to produce what everyone described as good ground. However, it would be Susan Town's final meeting as she retired as Point-to-Point Secretary after filling the role for 21 years, having done a fantastic job during that time.
Jack Teal is a trainer on the up as he proved when taking the first two races on the card. The first was a Conditions race which went the way of Pillowman, who was backing up his impressive victory at Sheriff Hutton last month. Partnered by Christy Furness, the pair were waited with in rear before making good headway four out and staying on strongly after the last to beat Monsun Storm and John Dawson. Inca Gold ran another solid race for the Sarah Dent team back in third.
This lightly raced son of Gamut has been hindered over the last couple of seasons with niggly problems, however, this nine-year-old now looks a progressive horse for the remainder of the season.
"We've always thought he was quite nice, but he's had niggly problems. We might take him to the Restricted Final at Stratford, but could even have another run before that," said the delighted rider, who was still on a high having partnered Monbeg Chit Chat to success on at Cheltenham on Friday evening.
Jack Teal’s second winner came in the first division of the Open Maiden, with the previously unlucky Feel Like De Baune. The five-year-old son of Feel Like Dancing was picked up for £17,000 as a three-year-old store at Doncaster and had met trouble in running on his first two starts but, under John Dawson, the pair were always to the fore this time around and had the race in hand as they stayed on strongly from the second last to win well. He certainly looks a progressive sort and undoubtedly has a bright future ahead.
"He did everything and should have plenty more to give," said the winning rider, who was deputising for Teal in the saddle who has been unwell for the last couple of weeks, but has still managed to keep his string in top form.
The second division of the Open Maiden went the way of the Lottie Crane-trained and -ridden Master Thyne. The pair have been knocking on the door for some time now but were always to the fore in this contest, and galloped on strongly to the line to fend off a trio of rivals led by Sine Nomine, who was having only her second start for Fiona Needham. Coniston Spa finished third, with Villa Moura narrowly back in fourth as the first four were covered by about three lengths at the line.
Sent off the 5/4 favourite, this seven-year-old son of Masterofthehorse was giving Crane her third winner of the season. "All he does is gallop, but he takes a bit of riding," said the exhausted rider/trainer afterwards.
Things took an unfortunate turn for Crane in the Ladies Open that followed as her charge, Seefood, looked booked for an easy victory when 10 lengths clear of the filed until the pair took a heavy fall at the second last. Both horse and rider were fine thankfully, however, this gifted the race to the odds-on favourite Argot, who had to work hard under Amie Waugh to take the advantage at the last with a better jump than runner-up Thyne For Gold. The winner stayed on well to give trainer John Barlow another successful trip to Yorkshire, with Fortunes Hiding finishing a close third.
The Veteran Horse race would see one of Yorkshire's longest standing contenders get his head in front for the fifteenth time in his career. Six A Side, ridden by Will Milburn, was waited with for most of the race and tracked the eventual runner-up Game As A Pheasant up the home straight, before staying on strongly after the last to get up near the line.
A highly consistent performer in Yorkshire, the 13-year-old was recording his fourteenth victory in points, with his sole win under Rules coming in a Kelso hunter chase. This is his eighth season in the pointing fields, where he has won every season barring 2017, but he can be forgiven for that blot on his copybook as he went on to finish third at Cheltenham that year.
“He's getting a bit older and wiser now and I think age is slowly catching up with him, but he's as tough and as game as the day we got him. I thought he was going nowhere, but he always seems to do enough nowadays,” admitted Milburn, who has partnered him to 14 of his 15 wins. “He's a bit of a legend!"
The Men’s Open saw just three runners head to post, with former course winner Royal Chant eventually scoring for the second time this season to give John Dawson a double on the day. The pair had to work hard close home to fend off runner-up Refusual, who was stepping up on his effort previously after a lengthy break, whilst Shantou Prince completed in third under Christy Furness.
The Restricted saw regular Welsh raider Ray Owen score with Gold Time, partnered by Immy Robinson. The winner managed to get his jumping together this time around, following a couple of unseats earlier in the season, and fought well to hold off Teescomponentsboy and John Dawson, with a fair gap back to the Rosie Howarth-trained and -ridden Rossderrin in third.