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SPECIAL PORTRAIT: winner of the Mens Open
photo: Grace Beresford

All six favourites were beaten in Sunday's Dumfriesshire & Stewartry fixture at Overton Farm, Crossford which at least managed to escape the heavy rain affecting many parts of the country.

Seaton Burn Owner/Trainer, George Moscrop made the 260 mile round trip worthwhile by sending out his seven-year-old ex-Irish gelding Classical Music to land the Jeremy Culham and Knarsdale Estates 2m4f Open Maiden race.

Catherine Walton's mount cruised up on the inner after three out to hit the front at the next and only had to be pushed out with hands and heels to beat Dust Packer by three lengths. Moscrop bought the winner for £3500 at the 2010 Doncaster May Sales; the victory moved Walton into a share of the lead with Kelly Bryson in the Northern Area Ladies Championship after three meetings.

The former Jim Goldie-trained chaser Instant Shot recorded the best time of the day when getting off the mark in the Knight Frank Restricted Race in the hands of Tristan Davidson. Hubble Bubble tried hard to make all under Charlie Johnston but had been joined by Philasonic and Instant Shot when falling two out.

Davidson's mount had the call at the last and kept on well under pressure to score by three parts of a length.
The eight-year-old was bought privately out of Goldie's yard last Summer by Cumnock farrier John Hodge, who said: "The recently installed all weather hill gallop has made a big difference at home and this is the first time one of my horses has won first time out. Corbie Abbey was my last winner here in March 2007 and it's great to finally get off the cold Trainers list."

It was a red letter day for 19-year-old Rider Siobhan Doolan as her ex-Irish chaser Joueur D'Estruval provided her with a memorable first winner in the Bonhams Ladies Open Race. The partnership made virtually every yard of the running, jumping well throughout, and kept Silver Sedge at bay from five out to score, quite cosily in the end, by four lengths.

Doolan, granddaughter of Muggleswick trainer, Wilf Storey said of the winner: "I bought him privately in Ireland in August 2009 with the intention of using him as a schoolmaster last term. However, those plans were wrecked when he was kicked by one of my other horses, Tiger Billy, injured a tendon and had to miss the whole of the 2010 season."

This was also a great training performance by Doolan as the 14-year-old gelding had been off the track for 587 days. He amassed almost £120,000 prize money in Ireland, with seven wins and numerous placings as well as two Pointing successes; the manner of this latest victory on his 60th career outing suggests that he still retains plenty of ability.

With regular partner Will Kinsey in action at Eyton-on-Severn, Gillon Crow was delighted to get the ride on Special Portrait in the N.B. Lancaster & Co. Mens Open Race and the new partnership duly came up trumps. Sent clear after three out, the seven-year-old kept on well up the home straight to beat Noir Et Vert by four lengths and is now qualified for next month's Cheltenham Foxhunter.

The winner is owned and trained by Wigton farmer Mark Hughes, who drives a refuse collection vehicle for Allerdale Council every morning during the week and then exercises his two horses each afternoon.

Skipping Chapel opened his account in the three mile Roucan Loch Open Maiden Race, which attracted a maximum field of 18 runners. Always in the leading pair, Kit Alexander's mount finally shook off Sierra Peak after two out and had four lengths to spare at the line. This was a first winner for 19-year-old Kit, a first year Maths student at Durham University, as well as a first training success for his sister Lucy. Their father Nick missed his home-bred gelding's moment of glory as he is enjoying a ski-ing holiday in Austria.

Yetholm trainer Clive Storey made it two winners and a second from three runners this season with Anotherbuck's victory on his reappearance in the Farm Business Services NPPA Club Members Race. Always going well under Ed Wrigley, the nine-year-old led four out and forged clear after the next to beat Windy Hills by half a dozen lengths.

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