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Percy review 2026
By Peter Burgon
It was just like the old days at the Ratcheugh Farm course near Alnwick last Sunday with 3 home-bred locally trained winners at the Percy fixture - the first Northern Area action of 2026 after a weather-enforced six-week break.
Flotterton near Rothbury farmer and Hexham Mart chairman Jimmy Walton had plenty to celebrate as home-bred duo High On The Hill and Eastern Storm provided him with a training double at his local track.
After several near misses in recent seasons, High On The Hill (right, grey) finally got off the mark in the 3m MGL Group Maiden Race. Never too far off the pace under Joanna Walton, the eight-year-old mare was held on to for as long as possible before being produced to challenge Where's Willy (Nick Orpwood) for the lead at the last. There was nothing much to choose between the pair all the way to the line, with the photo finish camera confirming that High On The Hill had secured a short head verdict to give Joanna a long overdue first Alnwick winner.
High On The Hill's dam Garden Feature was a dual winner of the 4m Mixed Open at Alnwick under Tom Oates and also landed another five Open contests on the Northern Area circuit, finishing out of the frame in only 3 of her 17 Pointing starts.
Given a confident ride by Nick Orpwood in the 2m4f Northumberland Estates-sponsored Alan Wilson Memorial Mixed Open Race, Eastern Storm (left) came from last to first on the final circuit to score with plenty in hand. Sent on up the hill after four out, the six-year-old gradually forged clear from the next to beat Brandy McQueen (Lucy Brown) by thirteen lengths and still appears to be on an upward curve.
Before retiring from the saddle around 20 years ago, Jimmy Walton partnered 214 winners, the majority of which were home-bred. His tally comprised 85 between the flags and 129 under Rules.
Mindrum-based jockey Nick Orpwood had earlier initiated his own double on Morag Herdman's home-bred debutant William Crump (right, light blue), who he also trains, in the 2m4f Spirit Of Golf At Sharpley Maiden Race.
Still eight lengths behind long time leader Claramount (Amy Milburn) three out, the six-year-old engaged overdrive down the home straight to hit the front after outjumping his rival at the last (right), and found plenty when the chips were down to maintain a one length advantage to the line.
Orpwood said: ''That was a perfect introduction to Pointing in a small field contest and I managed to get him switched off out the back in the early stages. He jumped the last three fences really well, finished full of running and took some pulling up after the line.
It's also great that he's the first winner trained on the new all-weather gallop I installed last year.''
Morag, based at nearby Edlingham, was Joint National Novice Champion rider in 2002 before turning her attention to training. She once described William Crump's dam Granoski Gala as a little superstar and the mare did her proud, winning 10 of 14 Pointing starts (including 4 of 5 outings at Alnwick, one of which was the Members Race almost 20 years ago to the day) as well as finishing runner-up twice before landing the 2007 Heart Of All England Maiden Hunters' Chase at Hexham. Sunday was a proud day for Morag and husband Gary, with son Sam in action on For One Night Only and Economic Editor and daughter Frankie having her first ride on MIdnight Alnwicky, while William Crump's unexpected victory put the icing on the cake.
On a good day for Northumbrian trainers, Lunar Contact (Bekah Duffy, left) provided Susan Corbett's Otterburn yard with a first winner of 2026 in the 3m Meldrum Construction Ladies Open Race.
After taking it up four out, the eight-year-old never looked like being pegged back by Midlands raider Somptueux (Marina Bealby) in the closing stages and still had plenty left in the tank as he sprinted across the line with four-and-a-half lengths in hand of his rival.
Fitted with a tongue-tie for the first time since joining Corbett's yard last January, the eight-year-old is likely to stay between the flags for the next couple of months before going hunter chasing with a Hexham contest on April 13 in which he finished runner-up last season on the agenda. Now fully recovered after fracturing a knee whilst out on a fun ride last summer, his success under Bekah was another one for Will Ramsay's Jockey Start syndicate.
A first visit to Alnwick for the Rutland-based Bealby family proved to be one to remember as Easy Rider (right) followed up last month's Chaddesley Corbett success in impressive fashion in the 3m Ryecroft Glenton Restricted Race.
Owned by Annabel Bealby, trained by husband Ashley and ridden by daughter Marina, the eight-year-old didn't see another rival in the final mile and stayed on strongly to beat Theoldboggroad (James Innes) by twelve lengths.
Marina, a former Newcastle University biology student who now works in London for a New York-based private equity firm, said of the winner: ''He seems a different horse this season and literally took off with me a mile from home. I came back early from a skiing trip to Verbier so that we could come to Alnwick and it's paid off.''
She has an impressive strike rate in the saddle with 9 winners and 9 placed from a total of 30 rides since making her debut at Higham less than two years ago.
The closing stages of the concluding 3m Joiners Arms Northern Area Conditions Race proved to be eventful in the gathering gloom, with long time leader Harjo (Jesika Rennie) unseating three out before Economic Editor (Sam Herdman) ran out at the next when still holding every chance.
Their departures left So They Say (Lisa O'Connor) and Annie Magic (Lucy Brown) to fight out the finish, with the latter rallying gamely inside the last fifty yards to score by a neck on her first start for twelve months.
Ridden out most days by Karen Lynn, the ten-year-old is Lucy's favourite in her Bonchester Bridge yard and was a first winner for her Racing Club.
The Westerner mare has made an amazing recovery after a heart problem, diagnosed as Atrium Fibrillation, showed up following her run at Friars Haugh last January which required an operation at the Royal Dick Veterinary Hospital in Edinburgh.
The next 2 Northern Area fixtures are the Berwickshire at Friars Haugh, Kelso on Sunday, February 8 and the College Valley & North Northumberland at Alnwick on Saturday, February 21. The latter meeting will take place on fresh ground with the fences all being moved onto the inner racing line, and it will also host pony racing for the first time.
