For once this season the weather gods were kind to the Northern Area as Kelso missed the heavy overnight rain which hit many parts of North Yorkshire and Northumberland resulting in ground no worse than soft for the well attended Berwickshire fixture at Friars Haugh on Sunday which saw 49 runners face the starter on a seven race card.

Cheltenham trainer Max Comley was rewarded for making the 630-mile round trip with a treble courtesy of Jay Bee Whiskey, Oscar Montel and Wagner to take his season's record to an impressive 14 winners from 24 runners.

Jay Bee Whiskey set the ball rolling when extending his unbeaten sequence this term to four in the 2m4f Kelso & Musselburgh Racecourses PPORA Club Members Conditions Race.

Confidently ridden by James King, who like Comley was making a first visit to the picturesque Scottish Borders track, the nine-year-old went on up the hill after five out and never looked like being pegged back from the next. Despite being eased right down on the run-in, Comley's charge still had eighteen lengths in hand over Flat winner Paramaribo (Jack Power) at the line.

Comley said: ''We left at 3.30am and only just made it here in time after a few travel issues on the way. Jay Bee Whiskey is very versatile as regards both trip and ground, and I'd be hopeful he could add another couple of Pointing wins to his tally before running in the Intermediate Final at Cheltenham on May 3.''

Oscar Montel doubled up for Comley's in-form yard in the Forsyth of Denny Ladies Open Race and in the process gave 19-year-old Rhiannon Fletcher a memorable winning debut ride. Patiently ridden, the ten-year-old ex-chaser picked off his rivals one-by-one on the final circuit before staying on strongly to head long-time leader Oscar Wilde (Amy Coltherd) between the last two fences and win, a shade cosily in the end, by four lengths, with Bintheredonethat (Eloise Justice-Vose) a short-head away in third.

The winner is owned by Rhiannon and was gifted to her by former owner Charlie Noell. She works for Comley at his Naunton yard and only just got her jockey's licence through in time to take the ride. Still buzzing 24 hours after the win, she received plenty of vocal encouragement from her boss during the race. He was standing near Fence 8 and was keen to make sure she closed on the leaders as Oscar Montel was about ten lengths off the pace at that stage.

Comley's second treble on the Northern Area circuit this season was completed by Wagner in the Prime Property Ventures Men's Open Race. Always going well under champion jockey James King, the nine-year-old quickened five lengths clear three out before coasting home twelve lengths ahead of Wild Romance (Shay Halton).

Much improved since undergoing wind surgery last summer and better going left-handed, Wagner has now won at Alnwick, Cocklebarrow, Friars Haugh and Wadebridge this term. The gelding has an American owner and might eventually head over there to race.

Reflecting on another successful weekend at Brocklesby Park (Saturday) and Friars Haugh which resulted in 4 winners from 5 runners, Comley, who didn't get back to his Gloucestershire yard until 2am on Monday morning, said: ''Things couldn't have gone much better this season and the time spent studying The Planner for suitable races is paying off. It also helps when you have owners who are prepared to let you run their horses anywhere in the country.''

Ex-hurdler Something Golden was given a peach of a ride by Jack Power to land the 13-runner Wild Plum Escapes & Active BP PPORA Club Members Maiden Race in good style from Thirsk raider Whats The Solution (Jack Teal).

After being held up towards the back of the field from the off, the eight-year-old made smooth headway after four out before being produced with a perfectly-timed challenge to take it up from Norman Sanderson's promising debutante She Is The Enemy (Ross Wilson) at the last and score by two lengths.

In a race that is likely to throw up plenty of future winners, Henry's Regime (3rd), She Is The Enemy (4th). debutant Take Notice (6th) and Easter Glory (9th) all caught the eye.

Something Golden, owned and trained by octogenarian Newton-by-the-Sea permit holder Victor Thompson who continues to prove that age is just a number, was bought for £14,000 out of Iain Jardine''s yard at Goffs UK Doncaster Sale on 25th May 2023 having finished runner-up over hurdles at Hexham two days earlier.

After scoring first time out at Corbridge last April, Chloe McHattie's mount Ask Cory struck gold again on his reappearance in the Bedmax NPPA Conditions Race for Novice Riders. Always travelling well behind pace-setting Nick Lost (Natasha Cookson), the eleven-year-old's proven stamina kicked in on the long run to the last where he hit the front before staying on strongly on the flat to beat Coole Hall (Abi Reid) by a comfortable two lengths.

James Ewart, husband of winning trainer Briony Ewart, said: ''He wasn't keen to go on the gallops when he first came to the yard but is a happy horse now and loves his racing. He's actually been ready to run for a month but those plans were dashed when meetings at Alnwick and Friars Haugh were abandoned.''

After finishing runner-up on 4 of his 6 previous visits to Friars Haugh since January 2020, Teds Charley Roe registered a deserved first career victory in the Ennova Law Owner-Trainer Conditions Race. Positively ridden by Lucy Brown , the eleven-year-old dictated a steady pace from solitary rival Famous Response (Charlotte Tailford) and was always doing enough in the closing stages to keep his Northumbrian challenger at bay by a couple of lengths.

This was a 10th career winner between the flags for Brown and a fine training performance by Jacqui Irvine Lang as her charge was returning from a 364-day absence

After opening his account at Mosshouses last April, the Brader family's home-bred Duke Account (John Dawson) made another successful cross-border raid in the concluding HPM Cooper (Building & Roofing) Restricted Race. Always prominent, the nine-year-old was sent on three out and stayed on well from the next to beat Shantou's Temple (Lyall Hodgins) by one-and-a-quarter lengths.

The main action was preceded by two 4f pony races which both had 8 runners. The 138cm Press Mains Cottages Open Race was won by Cheshire raider Just A Little Dot (Daniel Harrison) from Mohammed Ali (Cara Wilson) and Kitty (Pippa Gibbon), while Lucky June (Tara Kane) landed the 148cm Adam & Company Wealth Management Open Race from Dino Royale (Robyn Coulson) and The Cork Man (Cara Tuke).

The next 3 Northern Area fixtures are the College Valley & North Northumberland (February 25), Duke of Buccleuch's (March 9) and Lanarkshire & Renfrewshire (March 23).