Victor Thompson's in-form Newton-by-the-Sea yard followed up the previous week's Overton double with another brace of winners at the Morpeth fixture on near perfect going at Tranwell which deserved to have more than the final total of 39 runners.
Former Ben Pauling-trained Clapton Hill, a seven-year-old half-brother to ill-fated Grade 1 winning chaser and hurdler Thyme Hill, was delivered with a perfectly timed challenge by Bekah Duffy to head Blouebrav (Natasha Cookson) at the last in the 2m4f Wansbeck Plant Hire Ladies Open Race before finding plenty up the run-in to score by two lengths. Thompson's charge will now head back to Overton on April 13 in search of a hat-trick.
After just being touched off by Western Run at Overton a week earlier, Paramaribo went one better in the 3m Newcastle Racecourse Mixed Open Race to complete Thompson's double. Sent clear after five out by Shay Halton, the seven-year-old never looked like being pegged back up the half-mile long home straight and, despite being eased down on the flat, still had six lengths in hand over Shantou's Temple (Joe Wright) at the finish.
Economic Editor's victory in the 3m Charles Nicholson & Jockey Club Opportunity Conditions Race for Grass Roots Riders was a real family affair with the nine-year-old owned by Edlingham farmer Gary Herdman, trained by wife Morag (who won the Northern Area Novice Riders Championship in 2002 under her maiden name Morag Neill), and ridden by son Sam, 16, a first-year agriculture student at Bishop Burton College.
After being sent straight to the front, Herdman's mount was eventually headed six out by Cellar Vie (William Brown) before gamely regaining the initiative after the last and then stayed on best to score by three lengths.
Having graduated from the Northern Area pony racing circuit, this was a memorable first winner for Herdman on only his sixth ride with the former Adam Nicol-trained gelding proving to be the perfect schoolmaster. A nightshift in the lambing shed on Sunday was next on the agenda for the teenager who turns 17 in a couple of weeks.
On only his second ride between the flags, 21-year-old Louis Hadfield struck gold on 135-rated hurdler Coeur Serein in the 3m Indoor Climate Control PPORA Club Members Veteran Horse Conditions Race. Positively ridden, the eleven-year-old made much of the running and stayed on strongly in the closing stages to beat Killer Clown by five lengths.
Owned and trained by Hadfield, who has been working for Waltham on the Wolds-based jumps trainer Laura Morgan since August, the winner was bought for £13,500 at Goffs UK Doncaster Sales ten months ago. Formerly with Jonjo O'Neill, Coeur Serein's sole chase win came at Newbury in February 2023 having previously completed a hat-trick over hurdles in the space of nine weeks in 2021.
Scairp Dubh (Joe Wright) showed an impressive turn of foot in the final furlong when making a winning debut in the concluding 2m Newcastle Racecourse & Northumberland Logs Point-to-Point Flat Race, and wasn't stopping as he crossed the line six lengths ahead of Red Dart (Paddy Barlow, with Rose Du Berlais (Natasha Cookson) a further twelve lengths away in third.
Owned and trained by Kate Leckenby, the five-year-old's next assignment is likely to be a return visit to Goffs UK Doncaster Sales next month, having been picked up there for only £2,500 in September 2023. The Scorpion gelding is a half-brother to Deepsand, who won three times on the Flat (rated 82 at his peak in 2012) and three times over hurdles (rated 133 at his peak in 2013).
This completed a fifth double of the season for Wright, initiated by Slaney Opera's hard-fought success in the opening Go As You Please Funerals Morpeth, Border, Haydon, Percy and College Valley & North Northumberland Hunt Members Race.
Loughermore (Natasha Cookson) was granted an uncontested lead from the off and, after jumping well all the way, the gallant eleven-year-old looked as though he might just last home until collared in the dying strides by Slaney Opera and going down by a head.
Carrying the colours of Wright and good friend Johnny Little, this was a third win of the season from five starts for the progressive seven-year-old since joining Wright's yard and he will face a maximum of ten rivals in next Monday's 2m7f Weatherbys Hamilton Buccleuch Cup Maiden Hunters' Chase at Kelso.
Revesby Park Flat Race winner Lets Go Harry (Jack Teal) followed up in good style in the 2m4f Auld & Co Solicitors Maiden Race. The four-year-old made most of the running from the third and still had plenty left in the tank as he powered home four lengths ahead of High On The Hill (Charlotte Tailford), with promising debutante Out On Her Own (John Dawson) a further half-length away in third.
The youngster, bought for 13,000 euros at Goffs Arkle Sale in June 2024, was an 11th winner in the space of ten weeks for Teal's Malton yard, His next outing will be in the valuable 2m1f Aintree Point-to-Point Bumper on May 16.
As usual, the main action was preceded by pony racing with both contests sponsored by Mitford Estates. The 138cm race was won by The Gentle Touch (Kaden Beasley) from Little Galway Girl (Neive O'Sullivan) and Renaissance (Memphis Tacy), while She's On A Mission (Hugo Murray) was followed home by Judge Fox (Kaden Beasley) and Dino Royale (Robyn Coulson) in the 148cm contest.
The next 3 Northern Area meetings are on April 13 (Overton), April 21 (Corbridge) and April 26 (Pusk nr Leuchars). The Overton card has a total prize-fund of £4,300 on offer across six races, including a £1,050 Mixed Open with £600 to the winner and a first prize of £350 for the other five races.