By Hilary Mactaggart

A DAY trip home from Ireland was rewarded with a comfortable men’s open race win on Cave Hunter for Hawick jockey, Tom Hamilton, at Sunday’s Jedforest point-to-point.

Currently working for Irish trainer, Joseph O’Brien, Tom only returned to his Birnieknowe Farm home late the previous night, and left Kelso’s Friars Haugh course to fly back later that afternoon.

“It was worth coming over,” said Tom, who gave the gelding a great ride to score by eight lengths.

Pick of the paddock, Cave Hunter is trained by the jockey’s mother, Wendy, for Neil Manning, who farms at Tweedshaws, near Moffat.

Already a prolific winner for its connections, the 10-year-old lined up at Friars Haugh having been withdrawn from a hunter chase at Kelso the previous Saturday.

“We took him out as the ground was heavy and he was giving weight away,” explained Wendy, wife of racecourse clerk of the scales, Michael.

“We’ve been patient with him and I’m so glad as he likes it here and looked happy,” she added. Depending on the ground, the Walrus hunters’ chase at Haydock is a potential target.

Another Hawick jockey in winning form was 22-year-old Harriett Bryce, who rode a strong finish aboard Damiens Dilemma to clinch victory by a neck in the ladies’open. It was down to the judge after Damiens Dilemma and Wind of Hope had a ding-dong battle to the line in a nail-biting finish.

The gelding carries the colours of Northern Area chairman Robert Miller-Bakewell, from Melrose and is trained at Selkirk by Lesley Coltherd.

“Harriett gave him a great ride and he was really slick over his fences,” said the trainer’s husband, Stuart, who employs Harriett at his licensed yard.

“He’s such a push button horse and I just love him,” enthused Harriett. A tilt at Musselburgh’s Scottish foxhunter hunter chase next month may be on the cards.

Northern Area secretary, Tony Hogarth, landed the opening Border Hunts Club members' race – the first leg of the new MKM Building Supplies series – with Molten Brown.

The gelding came to challenge favourite Great Gusto in the closing stages, getting up by half-a-length under a fine ride by Joanna Walton. Victory was a welcome tonic for Tony, who is due to undergo hip surgery this weekend.

“He actually wasn’t due to come here,” said Tony, after the 12-year-old he described as 'a late maturer' recorded his first seasonal debut success.

Tocky McKie relinquished her stewarding duties to saddle her home-bred Takethepunishment to an emotional victory in the concluding Turcan Connell and Billy Stenhouse memorial open maiden race.

“When it’s a home-bred winner, it means such a lot,” said the Wooler owner/breeder. Successful in the showring as a youngster, he ran in a bumper as a five-year-old, before a cyst in his stifle saw him sidelined for a year.

“I’m so chuffed as it’s taken a lot of work to get him right,” said Tocky, who credited winning jockey, Nick Orpwood, for much of the success.

“Nick rides him every morning, and has done all the hard work,” said Tocky, whose daughter Jessica trains the seven-year-old.

The Bevin family were rewarded for a lengthy 500-mile round trip with their first-ever double.

Rory Bevin, in his final year studying agriculture at Newcastle University, rode Oakham raider For A Change, to get the better of Ronald Barber’s Fight Away Boys in the intermediate race which produced another thrilling finish.

The victory was a real family affair – his father William owns the gelding, who scored first-time out at Alnwick in December, but missed the success as on-duty at Oakham Veterinary Hospital – and the 11-year-old is trained by his mother, Louise, a Nottingham-based chartered surveyor.

The family completed their double when former Irish pointer Dynamic Island, a winner at Alnwick earlier in the month, justified hot favouritism with a two-length victory in the restricted race.

“That’s four winners for the yard and five for me, and our first-ever double,” said Rory.

Only two went to post in the mares’ maiden race, with Premier Blanc left solo with when Ginginny unseated John Dawson at the first.

Nineteen-year-old Henry Morshead had parted company with the winner at the start, but remounted before the off, and went on to win aboard the unraced ex-Venetia Williams charge.

A £2000 purchase at Goffs’ Doncaster August sale, the seven-year-old is trained by the jockey’s mother, Anthea – Cartmel and Kelso clerk of the course – for former racing commentator Lord Christopher Leigh.

LEADING awards

Border Hunts – Molten Brown (Miss J Walton) 9-4; 2, Great Gusto (W Ramsay) evs fav; 3, The Ice Factor (J Wright) 7-2. Five ran. 1/2l; 4l. Tony Hogarth, Lauderdale.

Intermediate – For a Change (R Bevin) 7-4; 2, Fight Away Boys (G Crow) 4-6 fav; 3, Seeyouincourt (J Andrews) 10-1. Seven ran. 1/2l; 1l. J Bevin, Qourn. (Mrs L Bevin).

Ladies' open – Damiens Dilemma (Miss H Bryce) 7-4; 2, Wind of Hope (Miss R McDonald) 4-6 fav; 3, Oscar Stanley (Miss J Walton) 3-1. Five ran. Nk; 4l. R Miller-Bakewell, Duke of Buccleuch’s. (Lesley Coltherd).

Men’s open – Cave Hunter (T Hamilton) 2-5 fav; 2, Top Cat Henry (C Alexander) 5-2; 3, Shannon Silver (H Morshead) 5-1. Eight ran. 6l; 8l. N Manning, Jedforest (Wendy Hamilton).

Restricted – Dynamic Island (R Bevin) 1-3 fav; 2, Asheanymoney (J Andrew) 7-1; 3, Eco Warrior (N Orpwood) 3-1. Six ran. 2l; 2l. J Bevin, Quorn (Mrs L Bevin).

Mares’ maiden – Premier Blanc (H Morshead) 4-5 fav. Two ran, only one finished. Lord Leigh, Middleton (Anthea Morshead).

Open maiden – Takethepunishment (N Orpwood) 5-1; 2, Towerburn (J Wright) 3-1; 3, Hey Listen (D Delahunt) evs fav. 12 ran. 2l; 3l. Mrs I McKie, College Valley and N Northumberland (Jessica McKie).