REPORT – BERWICKSHIRE (SUNDAY 8TH FEBRUARY)

The Berwickshire fixture at Friars Haugh, Kelso on Sunday was a resounding success with 60 runners in seven races on near perfect jumping ground, and spectators had the added bonus of double figure temperatures on a rain-free afternoon.

Lucy Brown extended her lead over Lisa O’Connor in the Perth Racecourse-sponsored Northern Area Ladies Championship to 7pts with a double on Paddy Moans and Brandy McQueen.

Kate Mactaggart-trained Paddy Moans initiated the double in the 3m Kelso & Musselburgh Racecourses PPORA Club Members Maiden Race. Always prominent in a slowly run affair, the six-year-old wasn’t headed on the final circuit and sealed a three lengths success over odds-on favourite Where’s Willy (Nick Orpwood) with another slick jump at the last.

The winner was bought for £10,500 at Goffs UK Doncaster Sales last May out of Benny Walsh’s yard in Ireland with the promise that he was a good jumper. For the record, his dam Delta Forty won a Uttoxeter Bumper for Keith Reveley and was placed on 5 of her other 7 starts under Rules.

Alan Mactaggart, husband of the winning trainer, said: ”He was hastily re-routed to Sheriff Hutton three weeks ago following the abandonment of the Jedforest meeting, and I knew he had come on a ton for that pipe-opener.”

Lucy was deputising for Mactaggart’s multi-talented daughter Isobel who would have ridden the Mahler gelding had she not been in Bulgaria representing her country in the European Air Pistol Target Shooting Championships,

Winning hurdler and chaser Brandy McQueen has been rejuvenated by the switch to Pointing and after chasing home Eastern Storm at Alnwick a fortnight ago, he appreciated the step up in trip when going one better in the 3m Meadowhead Ltd Northern Area Conditions Race.

Carrying the colours of Harriet Graham and trained by the winning jockey, the nine-year-old was always travelling well behind the leaders before being sent on four out and never looked like being pegged back from the next. He met the last on a perfect stride and stayed on strongly to beat Courting Flow (Christy Furness) in a good time.

Phantoms Cave (Paddy Barlow) was another popular locally trained winner in the 2m4f Forsyth of Denny Ltd PPORA Club Members Maiden Race which turned out to be incident-packed in the closing stages.

Jack Teal’s new ex-Irish recruit Guess What was challenging long distance traveller Kow Boy Sivola (Ellie Holder) for the lead when slipping up on the home turn after three out, and, after being left a couple of lengths clear, Holder’s mount still led narrowly when a last fence blunder gave her little chance of keeping the partnership intact.

In a driving finish, Phantoms Cave, who was about a length down in 4th place at the last, got a clear run on the outer before asserting inside the last fifty yards to beat Hurricane Harmony (Nick Orpwood) by half-a-length, with another promising youngster Black Aquila (John Dawson) a similar distance away in third.

Carrying the colours of Vicky Russell, this seven-year-old Court Cave gelding is related to multiple jumps winners including Azertyuiop, Still Loving You and Toi Et Le Soleil.

Lucinda Russell-trained Whatdeawant completed a hat-trick under a well-judged ride from Lisa O’Connor in the 3m HPM Cooper and BWE Engineering Ladies Open Race.

Always up with the pace in a strongly run affair, the ten-year-old kept his rivals at bay from three out and still had a length to spare over Townhill (Lucy Brown) at the line, with the rallying Camino Rocio (Ellie Holder) a similar distance away in third.

Following wins over 2m4f at Overton (March 2024) and Alnwick (February 2025), Bellaney Lord (Thomas Easterby) secured a third Northern Area victory at his favourite trip with a career-best effort in the 14-runner Chairman’s Race In Aid Of The Eugenia Ramsay Fund For Autistic Girls Network Mixed Open.

Never far off the pace, the ten-year-old hit the front two out before producing an impressive turn of foot to beat Eagles Rock (Paddy Barlow) by twelve lengths in a fast time.

Fred Timmis-trained Sharing Is Caring provided Henry Bailey, 34, with a memorable first winner between the flags in the 3m Lloyd Land Rover Kelso Restricted Race.

Given a positive ride, the five-year-old made virtually all the running from the fifth and still had plenty left in the tank as he crossed the line one-and-a-half lengths in front of Driveondonn (George Atkinson).

Bailey said: ”He never came off the bridle and cruised up the run-in.”

The well related winner was bought for £28,000 by Dubai-based Lewis Jones, one of Bailey’s best friends, at the Thoroughbid August 2025 Sale out of Shark Hanlon’s yard, and now carries the colours of the ‘I Love Oil Partnership’.

He finished three lengths 3rd to the Gordon Elliott-trained Coutach in a 2m4f Down Royal Maiden Hurdle on the same day as the Thorougkbid Sale, and that form was franked when the winner landed the Foxbrook Champion Hurdle at Far Hills next time out.

Thirsk raider Arthur’s Seat, ridden and trained by Wiliam Brown, overhauled Foxinthebox (Amy Milburn) after the last to land the concluding 3m Jockey Club & Point-to-Point Authority ‘Hands and Heels’ Series Conditions Race for Novice Riders by two lengths, with Second Subaltern (Venetia Thompson) a further four lengths away in third.

Pony racing preceded the main action, with the Wild Plum Estates-sponsored 138cm contest won by Down Mexico Way (Neive O’Sullivan), while the Canaccord Wealth-sponsored 148cm contest went to She’s On A Mission (Daniel Harrison).

The ratio of runners to individual horses entered at the Berwickshire was an impressive 81.08%, while the first 4 Northern Area fixtures have seen a healthy average of 7.4 runners per race.

The next 2 Northern Area fixtures are the College Valley & North Northumberland at Alnwick on Saturday 21st February where the fences have been moved to fresh ground on the inner racing line, and the Buccleuch at Friars Haugh, Kelso on Sunday 8th March.