STUART Crawford sent out his first winner of the 2020/21 National Hunt season on Monday at Carlisle where his own colours were carried to success in the concluding two-mile, one-furlong bumper by the Conor O’Farrell-ridden Barnabas Collins.

The newcomer, a five-year-old gelding by Shantou, overcame a bit of trouble in running to score by half a length from the 11/4 favourite Del La Mar Rocket, a four-year-old gelding by Fame And Glory who too was making his debut.

The latter was a €50,000 purchase by Highflyer Bloodstock and his trainer, Ben Pauling, at the 2019 Land Rover Sale at Goffs where, a year earlier, Crawford Bros gave €34,000 for Barnabas Collins who is out of an unraced Aussie Rules mare, G Day Sile.

Also on Monday, but at Dundalk, the always-prominent Adams Barbour (80/1) rallied under a strong ride from Alan Persse to win division two of the six-furlong handicap by a head on his seventh career start.

The three-year-old Elzaam gelding, who is trained by Magheralin-based Lee Smyth for David Adam, was bred by David Laverty out of the Royal Applause mare Britain’s Pride.

He is a half-brother to the Dandy Man filly Ty Rock Brandy who won five races in the colours of Tom Heatrick, three while in the care of Smyth.

Another Dundalk winner we should mention is Emphatic who, in the hands of Ross Coakley won division two of the seven-furlong handicap there last Friday evening.

Breen White’s five-year-old Epaulette gelding is trained in Dunleer by John Larkin who is long associated with racing in Dundalk and the surrounding area.

Recent northern-bred winners include Old Jewry (Patrick McCartan), who won at Kelso on Saturday, Oscar Rose (Niall McGrady), who justified favouritism at the Kempton meeting on Monday, Mackie Dee (Kathleen McKeever), who scored at Huntington on Tuesday when Storm Arising (Fiona McStay) won at Lingfield, and Let Me Pass (Brian Kennedy) who scored on the Polytrack at Dundalk’s meeting on Wednesday.