The weather gods were smiling on the Downhills course near Corbridge on Saturday for the rescheduled Tynedale Point-to-Point Races which took place on ground universally considered by the jockeys to be the best they had encountered in the North this season.
Malton-based jockey/trainer Jack Teal enjoyed one of the best days of his career with a skilfully executed treble on Macavity, Ira Hayes and Kalypso'chance.
First-time blinkers worked the oracle with Macavity, the outsider of four in the RBC Brewin Dolphin Men's Open Race. Always going well behind the pace-setting Slanelough (Philip Greaves), Teal's mount took it up three out before drawing clear up the home straight to score by seven lengths in the best time of the day.
The winner looked an exciting prospect two years ago when scoring at Sheriff Hutton and Corbridge before landing an Aintree Bumper but failed to fire under Rules last season when switched to Jedd O'Keeffe's Leyburn yard. Back in calmer waters, Teal knew three weeks ago after a piece of work on Richard Fahey's gallops that he was spot on and just had to wait for better ground. His half-brother Walton Street accumulated career earnings in excess of £740,000 from Charlie Appleby's yard with his seven wins including the Grade 1 Canadian International Stakes at Woodbine in September 2021.
Teal doubled up on debutant Ira Hayes in the 3m Cavu Corporate Finance Maiden Race. In the leading trio from the off, the five-year-old was sent to the front three out and produced an impressive turn of foot approaching the last to win by six lengths from well-backed favourite Kilmore Rock (Joe Wright) in what should prove to be an above average contest.
The winner, who was bought for 21,000 euros at Goffs Land Rover Sale in June 2022, had been doing everything right at home and his next assignment is likely to be a return visit to the Sales. The runner-up had finished third on debut at Lingstown in December behind Going Live and Califet En Vol who were sold a fortnight later at Tattersalls Cheltenham Sale for £150,000 and £145,000 respectively. Coincidentally, Califet En Vol also ran on Saturday and boosted the Lingstown form when finishing a close third in a Class 2 Ayr Bumper from Nicky Henderson's yard.
Fellow debutant Kalypso'chance, owned by former jump jockey Roger Marley, was in receipt of 14lb from his main rivals in the 2m4f Fires In Stone Maiden Race and the four-year-old found another gear from two out to beat odds-on favourite Trust Me Nate (John Dawson) by twelve lengths. Teal's only other riding treble came at Dalton Park in March 2020.
Venetia Thompson, 21, who has been competing on the British Eventing circuit since May 2018 up to 2* level at venues such as Blair Castle, Alnwick Ford, Belsay and Burgham, made a winning debut between the flags on the Tom Sowerby-trained gelding Lucky Lucarno in the Izibella Welch Conditions Race for Novice Riders. In the first two from the outset with Supremely Lucky (Natasha Cookson), the evergreen twelve-year-old jumped superbly and kept his rivals at bay from four out to score by two lengths from odds-on favourite Bintheredonethat (Eloise Justice-Vose).
Thompson, who works part-time for Rebecca Menzies, said: ''He's a legend of a horse and I wasn't expecting that at all. The pace was much faster than eventing and he definitely appreciated being back on better ground.''
Bought privately in 2022 from Cheshire handler Martin Wanless, this was a second training success for Tom Sowerby who is based near Darlington. Sowerby also provided Lyall Hodgins with his first winner on Big Sound at Duncombe Park in February 2020.
Despite not jumping quite as fluently as he did when winning at Overton last month, Eagles Rock (John Dawson) continued his rise up the ladder with a comfortable follow-up victory in the Jan Mitchell Properties Conditions Race. In a strongly run affair, Dawson didn't panic when Henry's Regime (Nick Orpwood) quickened twelve lengths clear five out and, after reeling in the leader approaching the last, drew right away up the run-in to score by eight lengths.
Following a string of placed efforts since scoring at Alnwick in January 2023, Oscar Wilde got back on the winning trail in the Womble Bond Dickinson Ladies Open Race. Always close up, Amy Coltherd's mount stayed on strongly from two out to beat Ask Cory (Chloe McHattie) by four lengths and is set to make a quick reappearance at Overton on Saturday with Coltherd now in contention for the Perth Racecourse-sponsored Northern Area Ladies Championship.
Welsh raider Greenbarrow Goldsmith (Hugo Murray) repeated last year's victory in the Mowden Hall School-sponsored 138cm Open Pony Race, with the minor placings filled by Silver (Freya Ainslie) and Mohammed Ali (Cara Wilson), while Scenic Snow provided 14-year-old Greater Manchester rider Tallula Edmunds with a first winner in the Mowden Hall School-sponsored 148cm Open Pony Race from Judge Fox (Caden Beasley) and The Cork Man (Cara Tuke).
The next Northern Area meeting is the Overton Races Family Day at Overton Farm, Crossford on Saturday 27th April with all proceeds going to Kilbryde Hospice and St Andrew's Hospice.