Another Lady Buttons? Phil Kirby mare wins again in series final

Beat that! The Racing Post Go North weekend kicked off with a fairytale success for Lone Star in the very first final.

Not only did the hugely progressive mare, bought for just £18,000 ten months ago, score her fifth win in six starts and defy a 25lb rise in the handicap since her run started.

But she was also rewarding joint-owners, who came together in partnership after their original horses were injured, and trainer Phil Kirby, who had long hoped to land a race named after his former star Lady Buttons.

And Lone Star was a hugely significant win for hard-working conditional jockey Joe Williamson, for whom things have not always gone smoothly since he rode his first winner in 2016.

"This is fantastic," he said. "It's probably my biggest win – it's only a 0-120 handicap but it's worth £30,000. I've been riding for quite a while, I had to take a bit of time out for personal reasons but I'm back now and seem to be doing really well.

"I get plenty of support from Phil and to win a race like this, on a mare I ride every day at home, is great – to get her right and bring her here feeling as good as that is really pleasing. She's a fantastic mare, she's progressed with every run since she first won."

Kirby added: "It's brilliant for Joe, he works hard and he deserves to get a bit of a roll on.

"I set my stall out to have something qualified for this race, it was an extra aim, and to win it is tremendous.

"It's great that it's for proper owners too. John and Anne Cornforth and Peter Rawcliffe both had horses that got injured and we bought her to replace them, so it's great that it's worked out."

More Menzies joy

Rebecca Menzies was among the winners in the inaugural Go North series in 2021 and took the 2m7f Brindisi Breeze Hurdle Final here with Curley Finger.

It was a reward for patience as the trainer said: "We tried to leave a few horses back for this meeting – we've swerved a couple of recent races for this. It's definitely worth aiming for."

Nathan Moscrop made much more use of Curley Finger than normal and Menzies said: "We changed the tactics, putting cheekpieces on and bouncing him out, and he's jumped brilliantly. It was a lovely ride by Nathan – he got the fractions perfect."

Curley Finger (left) got the better of Faithfulflyer in the Racing TV Go North Brindisi Breeze Hurdle FinalCredit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)

Bargain filly triumphs

Patrick Wadge won the Grey Bomber Juvenile Hurdle Final on Cianciana, whose £15,609 first prize took her earnings to just short of £50,000 – not bad for a filly bought for £800 as a yearling in 2020.

"I just liked the look of her," recalled Ellison, who also had Freddy Robinson finish third.

The rider also took the Sea Pigeon Hurdle Final on the Lucinda Russell-trained Cuban Cigar, who had been bought to win at this meeting last year and will now run in amateurs' races under owner Gerry McGladery's daughter Melissa and Peter Scudamore's daughter Margo.

Brian Hughes bounced straight back from a four-day ban to ride a double on Quaresome and Ballyporeen for Donald McCain.

Ewing suffers arm injury

A week after the excitement of being placed on a last-minute ride in the Cheltenham Gold Cup, Sam Ewing was brought crashing down to earth when he broke his arm here.

He suffered the injury when unseated from Poppy Rose at the sixth flight of the Racing TV Go North Lady Buttons Mares' Hurdle Series Final and clerk of the course Rory Innes said: "He has a right forearm fracture and has gone to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary."

Last Friday, Ewing had come in for the ride on Conflated just minutes before the Gold Cup and went on to finish third behind Galopin Des Champs, beaten 13½ lengths.

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