POINT TO POINT
JOHN Dawson signed off the Northern Area season in style with the third four-timer of his career on El Tornado, Ridelonglivelong, Red Opium and Black Op at the Haydon fixture, writes PETER BURGON.
El Tornado set the ball rolling after producing his best jumping display of the campaign in the 2m4f Maiden Race. Always prominent, the eight-year-old took it up with the circuit to go and did well well to keep his rivals at bay considering that one of Dawson’s stirrup irons snapped a mile from home.
The winner, who changed hands in his younger days for £72,000 and had two runs under Rules for JP McManus, was bought last year by Cassy Bell as an eventer after she saw him advertised for sale on Facebook, but he didn’t take to the show jumping element and her decision to switch codes finally came up trumps at the sixth time of asking.
After being presented with the race at Charm Park last week by the late falls of the two leaders, there was no fluke about Ridelonglivelong’s victory in the Restricted Race. He headed Inviction two out before forging clear up the run-in to score by ten lengths.
After finishing runner-up three times earlier in the season, Susan Mason’s home-bred mare Red Opium appreciated a stiffer test of stamina when getting off the mark in the 3m2f Maiden Conditions Race. The six-year-old stayed on strongly from two out to beat Notnowbob by five lengths.
Her dam, Poppy Day was a proven stayer between the flags and won the 2010 renewal of the 4m1f Grimthorpe Gold Cup in the hands of Mason’s daughter, Joanna to complete a five-timer that season.
Former Grade One chaser Black Op outclassed his three rivals when following up last month’s Corbridge success in the Men’s Open Race. Always going well, the 11-year-old quickened eight lengths clear after three out before cruising home a distance in front of Cooking Fat to round off a red letter for Dawson, 32, and give him a new seasonal best tally of 28.
First-season rider Lily Frank teamed up with former Willie Mullins-trained gelding Vent D’Automne for their fifth win since mid-January in the Ladies Open Race, while rank outsider Paddling provided 25-year-old Ailsa McClung with her first winner, other than a walk-over in 2019, in the Conditions Race.
Following a couple of disappointing efforts in hunters’ chases at Kelso, Frankies Fire bounced back to form under Lyall Hodgins when defying an 8lb penalty in the concluding eight-yearsold and over Conditions Race, scoring by 12 lengths in the best time of the day.
This latest success clinched the Hexham Racecourse-sponsored Northern Area Men’s Jockeys Championship for Hodgins.