Hawick racehorse trainer Ewan Whillans a winner at the double in Cumbria

Hold the Note, trained by Hawick's Ewan Whillans, in action previously (Pic: Bill McBurnie)

Hawick racehorse trainer Ewan Whillans was a winner at the double south of the border on Sunday.

Whillans claimed pole position in Carlisle’s 4.45pm Go North Red Rum Series Final Handicap Chase with 16/1 chance Hold the Note, taking the three-mile race’s £15,432 top prize after finishing seven lengths clear of runner-up Elleon, trained by West Yorkshire’s Sam England and with Jonathan England as jockey.

The nine-year-old bay gelding had Danny McMenamin in the saddle for his first victory of 2023, his last win having come at Kelso at the start of December with Sean Quinlan riding.

Whillans’ other win was in the race before, also over three miles, the 4.10pm Bells Fishmongers Handicap Hurdle, with Topkapi Star at 9/1, ridden by Peter Kavanagh.

The six-year-old bay mare finished over two lengths clear of Nights in Venice, trained by Hawick’s Donald Whillans, Ewan’s uncle, and ridden by Henry Brooke, to take that race’s £4,753 top prize.

Kelso trainer Sandy Thomson was also a winner in Cumbria on Sunday, with Rob Roy Macgregor, a five-year-old bay gelding making his racing debut with Ryan Mania in the saddle.

The 7/4 favourite finished a length and a half ahead of Cannock Park, ridden by Hawick jockey Craig Nichol and trained at nearby Spittal-on-Rule by Paul Robson, in the 5.18pm Baldwinholme Open National Hunt Flat Race, taking its £2,722 top prize.

Thomson and son-in-law Mania’s other runner on Sunday, Theirshegoes, finished fourth in the opening 1.50pm Happy 60th Birthday Helen Butterworth Novices’ Hurdle.