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ROWAN ROAD: Mares Maiden winner for Daryl Millar
photo: Grace Beresford

The Jedforest's decision to race on the Sabbath for the first time since 2003 proved to be an inspired move as the Friars Haugh course at Kelso had been partly frozen and unraceable 24 hours earlier. A frost-free night enabled Sunday's meeting to go ahead as scheduled, with 48 runners from a modest Entry of 75 contesting a seven race card and crowd figures up on the previous year.

After drawing a blank at Alnwick, reigning Area Ladies Champion Kelly Bryson stole the show with a treble at the fixture for the second year in a row.

Quotica de Poyans set the ball rolling by repeating last year's win in the JRW Group Jedforest Members Race. The seven-year-old was left out on his own when Waterford, two lengths down at the time, fell five out and, despite being eased right down on the flat, Bryson's mount still had five lengths to spare at the line over Windy Hills. After falling on his two previous starts, this was a good confidence booster for Philippa Shirley-Beavan's charge and he may run next in a Kelso Hunter Chase on February 17th.

There was a dramatic conclusion to the Aga Ladies Open Race when the long-time leader, Aggies Lad, ridden by Lucy Alexander, ran out through the wing of the final fence, leaving Minouchka to coast home 10 lengths in front of Silver Sedge. This was a 14th career success for Minouchka, including four under Rules. Bryson said of the mare: ''She is so tough and genuine. We were only three lengths down and closing coming to the last and would probably have won in any case.''

Marksmore fulfilled the promise shown on his Hunt racing debut at Alnwick the previous week by getting off the mark in the Billy Stenhouse Memorial Open Maiden Race. Bryson produced the Katie Scott-trained gelding with a perfectly timed challenge on the inner turning into the home straight to lead two out and kept him up to his work to hold off a renewed challenge from Arch by a length. The eight-year-old winner, bought privately last year for only £500, has the Buccleuch Cup Maiden Hunter Chase at Kelso on April 4th as his main target this season.

Silk Parasol is becoming something of a Kelso specialist and duly recorded a third course win in the Dodson & Horrell PPORA Club Members Race for Novice Riders. Well handled by 18-year-old Russell Lindsay, who is attached to Keith Reveley's Lingdale stable, the mare dictated the pace from the outset and kept finding extra in the closing stages to beat Badger Foot by a couple of lengths. This was a first Pointing success for Lindsay on only his third ride and came just seven weeks after he scored on Sambelucky at Catterick on his debut ride under Rules for the Reveley yard.

Gunner Jack carried the colours of York Racecourse Chairman, Nicholas Wrigley to victory in the Brewin Dolphin Mens Open Race. Partnered by 21-year-old son, Ed, a third year Religious Studies student at Edinburgh University, the gelding forged clear half a mile from home and stayed on strongly to beat Noir Et Vert by 10 lengths. The 10-year-old notched up six wins out of David Easterby's yard in 2010 before being sold privately at the end of the season and is now trained by Clive Storey.

There was a popular first winner for Northumbrian amateur, Drew Holmes, 29, on his own gelding, Stark Raven in the David Merry Restricted Race. Always prominent, the 11-year-old led two out and had a bit more in hand over One More Look than the one length margin might suggest. Holmes, in only his second season of race-riding, epitomises the true amateur side of hunt racing as his day job involves travelling across Europe as a sales and distribution manager for the leading men's fashion designer, Nigel Cabourn.

Rowan Road made much of the running, under a well-judged ride from Daryl Millar, to open her account in the Bedmax PPA PPORA Club Members Mares Maiden Race. One Black Cat tried hard to get on terms in the closing stages but was still two legths down at the line. Winning Trainer, Iain Jardine said of Alec Dawson's home-bred mare: '' She has strengthened up a lot since last season and I think there is more improvement to come.''

The Northern Area season resumes on Sunday February 13 with the Dumfriesshire & Stewartry fixture at Overton.

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