ONCE again, a list in this column of Northern-bred winners is headed by The New One who, on Saturday, landed Haydock’s StanJames.com Champion Hurdle Trial (Grade 2) for the second year running.

Beaten seven lengths into second by Faugheen in the Christmas Hurdle (Grade 1) at Kempton last month, The New One had to be kept up to his work on Saturday by trainer Nigel Twiston-Davies’s son Sam before recording his 16th career success by two and a quarter lengths.

Beautifully turned-out as always, the eight-year-old King’s Theatre gelding, who was bred at Foxleigh House in Bessbrook by Richard Brown in partnership with Ballylinch Stud, is out of the Turgeon mare Thuringe whose colt foal by Oscar was purchased at Tattersalls’ November Sale last year for €40,000 by Dick Frisby.

Also on the mark at Haydock was Baywing who, trained by Nicky Richards, justified favouritism for the fourth time in four starts this season when landing the two-mile, seven-furlong handicap hurdle. By Winged Love, the seven-year-old brown gelding was bred by Hugh Suffern out of the Champ Libre mare Cerise De Totes.

NINTH CAREER SUCCESS

There were also two Northern-bred winners at Wincanton last Thursday, the first being the 11-year-old Tikkanen gelding Golden Chieftain who claimed the three and a quarter-mile Somerset National for the Colin Tizzard yard. The bay, who was notching up his ninth career success, was bred by Robert Donaldson out of the Highland Chieftain mare Golden Flower whose 2015 colt by Sholokhov was purchased for €20,000 at Goffs in early December by Gerry Hogan.

Bred by Cyril Poots out of the Moonax mare Double Doc (a half-sister to The Crazy Bishop), the Jeremy Scott-trained Daveron won the later two and a half-mile handicap chase by two and a half-lengths from the Tikkanen gelding Marden Court. Another son of Winged Love, Daveron last visited the winner’s enclosure in December 2014.

At Ascot on Saturday, the Venetia Williams-trained Dare Me returned to form in dramatic style when getting up close home under Alain Cawley to beat the 7/2 favourite Royal Regatta by two and a quarter lengths. Having pulled up twice and fallen in his previous three starts, the 12-year-old Bob Back gelding was sent off a 25/1 shot on the way to posting his seventh career success.

Dare Me was bred by Aaron Metcalfe out of Gaye Chatelaine who last year had a filly foal by Tikkanen. The 1993 Castle Keep mare is dam also of the winners Wild Ocean (by Old Vic) and On Galley Head (by Zaffaran). Her 2011 gelding by Presenting, Castle Clyde, is being trained by George Stewart for Stephanie Metcalfe and holds an Iveagh Harriers’ certificate for this season.