North Northumberland raiders Watch Law and Park Hind both struck gold in South Lanarkshire on last Sunday's St Andrew's Hospice Family Day card at Overton Farm.
Watch Law was always in the first two in the 3m McRostie Scotland NPPA Area Conditions Race under a positive ride from Nick Orpwood and, after finally getting the better of She Is The Enemy (Gregor Walkingshaw) from three out, forged clear up the home straight to win as he liked by ten lengths in a good time.
Three disappointing runs over hurdles in November and December followed by a couple of recent below-par Pointing efforts at Friars Haugh and Tranwell had left Wooler-based owner Tocky McKie considering retiring the ten-year-old but those plans are now on hold after he showed the fire is still burning with this second course win to end a losing sequence stretching back to March 2023.
This was also a landmark 125th career winner for Orpwood, comprising 113 between the flags and 12 under Rules, and he is now 12pts ahead of Gregor Walkingshaw in the Hexham Mart-sponsored Northern Area Men's Jockeys Championship.
Park Hind (Shay Halton) provided in-form Newton-by-the-Sea owner/trainer Victor Thompson with a fifth Pointing winner in the space of three weeks in the Dan Skelton-sponsored 2m4f Finding The Next Ardera Cross Maiden Race.
Always prominent, the eight-year-old mare was sent on after three out and quickly settled the issue before coasting home five lengths ahead of Royal Maggs (Jack Teal).
Last month's Overton Maiden winner Diamond Flush (Lois Teal) came up trumps again in the 3m Overton Charity Family Day Restricted Race to initiate a double for Malton-based handler Jack Teal. Patiently ridden behind stable companion Callmesusie (Jack Teal) in a slowly run affair, the progressive five-year-old was eventually sent to the front a mile from home and brushed aside a renewed challenge from his rival to score a shade cosily by three lengths.
Teal's yard doubled up with course winner Whats The Solution who completed a quick-fire hat-trick in the 3m Oven @ Overton Conditions Race. Always going well in the hands of his trainer, the seven-year-old took it up five out and cruised home ten lengths in front of Up With The Play (Shay Halton) without coming off the bridle. The main end of season target for Gillian Smith's charge is the Restricted 'Point-to-Point' Hunters' Chase Final at Stratford on May 30.
Locally trained Western Run (Sean Cameron) made it four wins from four visits to Overton in the valuable 3m Azure Fire Protection Mixed Open Race. Sent on with a circuit to go, the ten-year-old was still full of running as he crossed the line five lengths ahead of Shantou Moon (Gregor Walkingshaw).
Cameron is now 1pt ahead of Bekah Duffy and Jess Jubb in the Northern Area Novice Riders Championship with three meetings remaining.
Rejuvenated by cheekpieces over his ideal trip, the evergreen Fresh New Dawn rolled back the years with a pillar to post victory in the 2m4f Beltane Queen Conditions Race for Novice Riders kindly sponsored by The Tennant Family. The thirteen-year-old came home a distance in front of the only other finisher Darkest Day (Gregor Walkingshaw) to give Eloise Justice-Vose a richly deserved first winner following a string of placings on Bintheredonethat in her debut season.
Fresh New Dawn is yet another success story for Will Ramsay's Jockey Start Scheme, the veteran having been leased by owner Cassy Bell to Eloise who needed a replacement after the aforementioned Bintheredonethat was sidelined with a leg injury earlier this year.
Wassels Young and his team deserve plenty of praise for producing ground on the easy side of good following extensive watering all week.
The main action was preceded by pony racing, with both contests sponsored by JSC Estates. The 138cm Race was won by The Gentle Touch (Kaden Beasley) from Little Galway Girl (Neive O'Sullivan) and Kitty (Pippa Gibbon), while prolific winner Judge Fox (Kaden Beasley) was followed home by Liscuib Twilight (Tallulah Edmunds) and Cookie (Lily Milburn) in the 148cm Race.
The next Northern Area fixture is the Tynedale at Downhills near Corbridge on Easter Monday.