Bowen at the double in Musselburgh’s jumps season finale

James Bowen, paying his first visit to the track, rode a 35-1 double on Paros and Island Mahee as the curtain came down on the jumps season at Musselburgh yesterday.

The former, trained by Nicky Henderson, made all in the opening novices’ hurdle while Island Mahee landed the £30,000 ITM Northern Lights Mares’ Hurdle Series Final for Irish trainer Stuart Crawford.

Bowen said: “It was a long old journey to get here but this makes it worthwhile and the prize money is tremendous - it’s a very nice place. Paros did the job very nicely and settled better and jumped well today - this will have done his confidence the world of good and it’s lovely to get a winner for Mr Henderson and Middleham Park Racing.”

Ratfacemcdougall, trained by Graeme Mcpherson, was another all-the-way winner, in this case for Max Kendrick in the ITM Northern Lights Stayers’ Hurdle Series Final.

The winning jockey said: “He’s had a sensational season as this was his fourth win. He enjoys it here and we also won over course and distance back in the autumn. He’s great to ride and just loves bowling along in front.”

The concluding mares bumper was won in runaway style by Bella Bluesky, ridden by Callum Bewley and trained by Alistair Whillans.

Meanwhile, Haqeeqy can give John and Thady Gosden a flying start to their dual-licence arrangement by winning the Unibet Lincoln

Handicap at Doncaster today.

Father and son have a tremendous chance of taking the feature on the opening day of the turf season with an unexposed four-year-old, who could be ahead of the handicapper and perhaps even a Group horse in waiting.

Fourth Of July can repeat a recent course-and-distance success in the Reg & Betty Tweedie Handicap Chase at Kelso.

The Mike Smith-trained sixyear-old showed he had benefited from a wind operation when bounding away to win by 13 lengths. It is not surprising the handicapper has raised him 14lb, but he did win with a fair bit in hand.