Point-to-point racing returned to Scotland for the first time since March 2020 at Friars Haugh, Kelso, last Sunday with a big crowd in attendance at the Jedforest fixture and 40 runners in 7 races on perfect jumping ground, which was riding on the easy side of good.
Nick Orpwood extended his lead over Lyall Hodgins in the Hexham Racecourse NPPA Men's Jockeys Championship to nine points with a short-priced double on Rio Des Echanault and Takethepunishment.
The former survived a few mistakes when beating solitary rival Set List (Ryan Nichol) on his reappearance in the Musselburgh Racecourse & Kelso Racecourse Men's Open race. After taking it up three out, Orpwood's mount increased his advantage to five lengths on the long run to the last and went further clear on the run-in.
Orpwood said: ''He hit one or two fences and that run will have sharpened him up.''
Takethepunishment made it four wins from six starts at Friars Haugh in the Jockey Club & ROR Veteran Horse Conditions race. Always going well behind the leaders, the 12-year-old went on by a length from Wind Of Hope (Natasha McKee) four out and never looked like relinquishing his lead in the closing stages, eventually coasting home four lengths ahead of Coole Hall (Will Ramsay).
Orpwood said: ''If he jumps and travels as well as that, he must have a big chance in the Buccleuch Cup Maiden Hunters' Chase at Kelso on April 4th.''
A nine-hour round trip for Denbigh trainer Ray Owen paid dividends when Thyne For Gold (Immy Robinson) landed the Harbro Ladies Open race. Given a peach of a ride, the 11-year-old made every yard of the running and jumped superbly to keep the gallant Son Of Suzie (Joanna Walton) at bay by a couple of lengths.
This was Immy's fourth winner of the season from only 10 rides and a 49th career success between the flags. She said: ''He's very straightforward, enjoyed himself out in front and galloped all the way to the line.''
On her previous visit to the track, she scored on Beggars Bush at the corresponding fixture in January 2019.
Friars Haugh has also proved to be a lucky course for Owen as Croan Rock and Kilcross Boy won here for him in 2013 and 2017 respectively. He said: ''Thyne For Gold has had treatment for a kissing spine since last season and that worked as he doesn't hang any more. He'll come back here for the Berwickshire Ladies Open on February 13th. We've given him so much care and attention over the past three years, so it's great when your efforts get rewarded.''
Charlotte Dun is three points ahead of Lucy Brown and Joanna Walton in the YoungsRPS NPPA Ladies Championship following her popular win on Cooking Fat in the 'One For Arthur' Scottish Borders Conditions race.
The 11-year-old has been rejuvenated by a change of scenery and drop in grade since joining owner/trainer Jack Clark seven months ago, following a long losing run under Rules stretching back to July 2018. Showing plenty of resolution, he kept the veteran Veauce De Sivola (Courtney Fox) at bay after hitting the front five out and stayed on strongly from the second last to score by five lengths.
My Liege (Joe Wright) returned from an absence of 405 days to land the James Swinton & Co Ltd and MKM Building Supplies Intermediate race by a short head from Thirsk-raider Mr Pepperpot (John Dawson) in the best time of the day - an identical result and winning distance to the 2020 renewal.
The 11-year-old winner is owned by The Allornothing Partnership which is headed by Mick Jones, who sadly couldn't be there after breaking his pelvis in a schooling fall from the gelding.
Ed Nelson, husband of Lochmaben-based trainer Hazel Nelson, said: ''He hasn't been injured and was only off the track as long because of last year's Covid-hit campaign. This win is dedicated to my close friend Gordon McLintock, who died on Saturday after being diagnosed with cancer a month ago.''
Sir Charles Lytton (Jack Teal) left form figures of PP-P well behind with a surprise victory in the 2m4f Browns & Thomas Sherriff's Maiden race. The seven-year-old gradually warmed to his task before being produced down the inner with a perfectly-timed challenge to head Frenchpeps (Ross Wilson) inside the last 50 yards and score by half-a-length.
The winner carried the colours of The Barker Brothers Partnership, comprising Andrew, John and William Barker who are cattle and sheep farmers at Scorton, near Catterick, and bought the gelding for £3,000 at the Goofs UK Summer Sale in July 2020. They described their charge as a big, backward type who is still learning, and has come on a lot for his seasonal debut at Alnwick a fortnight ago. They also praised Teal for all the schooling work he has done.
There was another very popular local success in the concluding A S Crawford Groundworks Ltd Maiden race for Our Percy (John Dawson), owned by Kenny Lynn and trained by wife, Karen. Never far off the pace, he was sent on a mile from home and produced a great display of fast, fluent jumping as he eventually powered home 10 lengths ahead of Missthecuddles (Ross Wilson) in a fast time.
The eight-year-old Stowaway gelding, a half-brother to winning hurdlers Go Millie Go and Daily Present, was making his hunt racing debut here following four starts under Rules and hadn't previously been tried beyond two-and-a-half miles. Originally bought for €45,000 by the late Trevor Hemmings at the Goffs Landrover National Hunt Sale in June 2017, he was picked up for only £4,000 by Kenny Lynn at the Goffs UK Sale in September 2020 and looks an exciting prospect.
Lynn said: ''He was all set to run at the Border fixture two months ago but, in the end, we decided to give it a miss and he has subsequently recovered well from a poisoned foot.''
Dawson added: ''He's electric and there is plenty more to come.''