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A journey of almost four hours proved worthwhile for Mark Wall when Sheknowsyouknow, who had travelled the previous day from Mike Hawker's Wiltshire yard, made virtually all to win the Oaklands Veterinary Centre Novices' Hunters' Chase.

It was a first visit to Sedgefield for both her owner and for her Thirsk-born rider, who now lives in Gloucestershire and works at Stratford Place Stud. Mark was wearing his own set of colours, Mike's having somehow gone missing since his arrival.

"She used to front-run every time although she doesn't need to now. She's a lady so she's entitled to change her mind," laughed Mike, while Mark pointed out that the ultra-tough mare takes nothing out of herself. "She makes me work harder than she does," he admitted.

The venue for Sheknowsyouknow's next outing is uncertain. "There's nothing for her at Stratford apart from the ladies' race," Mike pointed out, "but Mark would kill me if I let a lady on her. He would need to have a nasty operation to be able to ride in that!"

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There was a first success under Rules for another Gloucestershire-based rider, 16-year-old Tom Bellamy, who took the Handicap Chase on Ponchatrain. Tom is currently studying for his GCSE exams at Cotswold School, and had been chauffeured to the meeting by his father Robert.

"He'd been in school for three hours when I picked him up at 12," said Robert, "but I'm not sure how much studying had taken place. He and Willie [fellow scholar Willie Twiston-Davies] were probably poring over the form book."

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The third of the long-distance travellers to visit the winner's enclosure was Mikey Ennis, who won the John Hellens Contracts Northern Hunts Hunters' Chase on Abragante, an initial training success for owner Doreen Monteith since the untimely death in November of her husband Peter.

Abragante was a useful performer over both hurdles and fences for David Johnson, and moved to the Monteith yard from David Pipe in 2009. "I'd never let him be trained by anyone else - he's too quirky," stressed Doreen, who considered that the 2m5f of this contest was an ideal trip. "He's not a true stayer," she added, while Mikey enthused that his mount would be an ideal candidate for the Aintree Fox Hunters' next year.

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Mikey left his native Scotland last year to join Sarah Humphrey's yard near Newmarket, and has not regretted the move. Although at first he found it difficult to pick up rides in his adopted area he has been more in demand as of late. He has also retained his contacts in the north which means that many hours are spent on the road, and he emphasised his gratitude to his boss for allowing him the time off to ride for other stables.

A comparatively late starter to Pointing - he was 26 before having his initial ride between the flags - Mikey uses Sam Stronge as his agent, and appreciates all the help he receives from that quarter.

There is one piece of advice, though, that he is reluctant to take. "Sam wants me to turn professional [at 29 he is too old to be deemed a conditional] but I've seen some of the lads struggling to make a living and I don't think I'd achieve anything," is his belief.

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The victory on Abragante left Mikey happier than he had been after the opening Novices' Hurdle. "Beaten by a girl!" was his comment, referring to the fact that he had finished runner-up to Joey Richards, successful on one from her father Nicky's yard, Rain Stops Play.

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Will Kinsey took his Hunter Chase tally for the season to four with a pillar-to-post triumph in the 3m3f Nortonthorpe Industrial Estate Open HC on Simply Smashing, whose previous success had been on this track in the Durham National.

"He went up in the handicap and there was nothing else for him," explained trainer Philip Kirby, who had booked Will after seeing him in action elsewhere. "I was looking out for a good rider who could claim," was his reasoning.

"He actually needs the ground firmer than this," continued Philip, who went to Doncaster in 2009 and bought back Simply Smashing for £2,000 after his proposed sale as a hunter fell through. He now belongs to Colin Fletcher, who originally took a half share when the horse was advertised on e-bay, and Mick Mahon.

Philip had been hoping to qualify Simply Smashing for Stratford, but to the trainer's disappointment he had been pulled up at Hexham on his initial Hunter Chase attempt, so his target now is the Summer National at Uttoxeter.

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Mark Walford, assistant to his father Tim, landed the Novices' Handicap Hurdle on the Mick-Easterby trained Provost to take his tally under Rules to 12.

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The instigator of this meeting, John Wade, whose name is synonymous with Sedgefield, saddled a runner in each of the three non-Hunter contests, with Persian Prince coming the closest to a success by finishing second to Ponchatrain. With John Dawson awaiting an operation on his injured knee and Daryl Miller grounded with arm injuries since the "Heart" at Hexham, it was Colm McCormack who had the leg-up on John's trio.

Sponsor John Hellens's attempt to win his own race with Beau Dandy also failed, the six-year-old putting paid to his chance with a couple of bad jumping errors, but Richard Smith's stickability got his mount home in a distant third behind Abragante.

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