Point-to-point: Monsieur Jorudain takes Brocklesby feature race

The course had dried up well with jockeys reporting the going, prepared for the final time by clerk of the course Harry Thorpe, was riding good to soft.

This allowed three-time Grimthorpe Gold Cup winner Monsieur Jourdain to line up in the feature race; the Baillie Haylage Mixed Open race and take the £400 first prize.

Ridden by leading Yorkshire jockey Will Easterby, Monsieur Jourdain took up the running turning into the home straight and was in command at the last fence to hold off a determined challenge from All Great N Theory to win by three lengths.

“He loves this track and it is just lucky that we decided to put entries in for here and the Sinnington when we saw that bad weather was forecast,” Easterby said.

“We were always going to the Sinnington last Sunday if it was on, but the re-arrangement of Brocklesby avoided the clash and we have been able to come here too.”

The Men’s Open at Corbridge could now be on the cards for Monsieur Jourdain before he bids for a fourth Grimthorpe Gold cup at the Middleton meeting in April.

Racing opened with the highlight for local racegoers; the DDM Agriculture sponsored Members’ race.

Somethingwonderful justified favouritism by taking the lead approaching the penultimate fence to score for the second year running.

Ridden by Tom Strawson for his father Paul, Somethingwonderful beat Kayjaydee by four lengths.

It was perhaps the final point-to-point ride for Kayjaydee’s jockey Tom Broughton who is about to embark on a career as a conditional jockey.

There was another popular local winner when His Excellency landed the Clark Weightman Midlands Area Club race for Mike Dawson and Claire Hardwick.

The nine-year-old, who was kept on the sidelines for much of last season with injury, easily fought off Merrydown Black and I Wonder Why to win by five lengths.

“At least we have been able to settle him; this has been his biggest issue and he runs in a Cheltenham gag now.” Grainthorpe trainer Mike Dawson explained.

Claire Hardwick came close to riding a double later when she teamed up with the Pauline Harkin-trained Exclusive Rights in the Connolly’s Red Mills Intermediate race.

However, the pair had no answers for Dale Peters’ seven-year-old Wither Or Not who completed a hat-trick of wins for the season.

Amigo returned to the winner’s enclosure following a four-year break by taking the Paul Wiseman Midlands Area Club Conditions race.

The 10-year-old gelding, who finished fourth in the Scottish National in 2015 when trained by David Pipe, is now trained by Lauren Braithwaite for the Signy and Marriage families.

Leading Midlands area rider Tom McClorey brought his season tally to three winners in the HMT St Hugh’s and The Jockey Club Maiden race for mares when Demood beat Dulwich Hill by two lengths.

Quizzacle Nomad completed the course for the first time to finish second for Sue Smith and Tim Tarratt.

The eight-year-old mare is from the family of prolific winner Doctor Kingsley.

The final Open Maiden Race, sponsored by Nunns Mitsubishi, was won by five-year-old Welsh’s Castle for David Kemp and Sam Davies-Thomas, making the most of the 7lb weight allowance to beat Hurricane Vic by 10 lengths.

Tom Strawson’s win with Somethingwonderful and second places with Quizzacle Nomad and Hurricane Vic made him leading rider at Brocklesby Park for the second time.