JAMES Moffatt make it a magnificent first century of winners as a trainer – and quickly set off on his way to a second – with a superb Cartmel double.

Altruism stormed to victory just a few hundred yards from his home in the opening race of the day and Captain Brown brought a tear to his trainer’s eye with triumph in the Cartmel Cup.

Five-year-old novice Altruism – son of Derby winner Authorized – made it two from two at the track as he decimated the field in the E-Catering Novices’ Hurdle.

And less than three hours later Captain Brown came from nowhere to win the day’s showpiece race, the totepool Cartmel Cup, which Moffatt had won for the first time last year with Smart Ruler.

“That’s a winner I’ve had at every meeting here since last May,” said the Pit Farm Stables handler as he soaked up the achievements of his mounts.

“It’s my hundredth winner as a trainer. I was looking for 101 and it certainly came quickly enough – and I rather hope that the next hundred will be quicker than the last hundred.

“We’d absolutely been hoping today would be where the 100th winner would happen.”

Champion jockey-elect Richard Johnson marched Altruism to the line in grand style, going to the front three flights from home, pulling away from closest rival Scrafton at the last and putting on the afterburners to stride home 12 lengths clear.

The packed Cartmel crowd roared in delight – a cheer unlike any other heard at the South Lakeland track in a long time – and Moffatt too was thrilled to have brought up the hundred.

Having ridden 79 winners as a jockey and had 99 successes as a handler prior to Cartmel Cup Day, he had targeted this meeting for his ton and no-one was stopping his mount.

“I’m very pleased – he’s a decent horse and it shows what good breeding does,” said Moffatt of a horse he purchased at auction for £4,000 in November and who has come through a bout of colic which had his very survival in doubt.

“We got him cheaply, but that was with a bit of his history and he has just needed a bit of time.

“He’s a really nice horse – probably one of the better ones I have had in the last few years. We’ll look after him, like they all need looking after, but he’s got a proper engine, he’s jumped well.

“I schooled him two days ago and he has learnt an awful lot from the first day. If I’m schooling him, then I must think he jumped well!

“In the context of today and with what we’ve seen a home of him, bearing in mind the last really good horse was Chief Dan George, this lad has got real gears. He’s a young horse and we’ll look after him.

“He’s tough and he’s beautifully bred. I’m even wearing a Godolphin-style tie today to say thank you to Sheik Mohammed.”

While Altruism is a new name for the Moffatt stable, Captain Brown is an old hand and his triumph was extra-special.

Diarmund O’Regan rode his first winner at the track, storming up the inside rail past Dean Pratt on Chebsey Beau and Henry Brooke on Miss Manamara and taking a three-and-a-quarter length success.

The pair had been hanging about on the back of the leading pack throughout, but timed the run to perfection, the decision to drop the seven-year-old down in trip paying off for the trainer.

“When you’re working with horses every day, they can’t help but come into your life,” said Moffatt. “This is a horse I live and breathe. He’s a real favourite of mine.

“He’s been a doubtful sort of finisher, but maybe running him over two miles six last time did something to him, maybe it made him relax and today he has come on and he has stayed on through them.

“He used to be a pacey horse, he used to be far too keen and run races early. That was a different run altogether, he stayed on really well and I’m delighted to win the Cartmel Cup again.

“I love this horse, he’s a lovely horse. I’m really pleased for the owner (Keith Bowron) and I’m really pleased for the horse as well.”

He added: “It’s fantastic to win the Cartmel Cup. It’s my local track and I’m looking forward to there being nine meetings here next year – it’s been a good year for us up to now and I hope it continues.”

As for Altruism, the new star of the stable will be given some time before he next takes to the track.

His double victories at Cartmel mean he will be more heavily handicapped and Moffatt will weigh his up options after giving the mount a rest.

“We’ll probably give him a little bit of an ease for six weeks and then discuss where he’s going to go,” he said.

“Two wins, it’s a double penalty now and you might think about going in a slightly better grade, but those races don’t come around for a while.

“He had an operation in December last year and we started training him straight away, so he is due a little six-week break. We’ll freshen him up.”

There was another Cumbrian-trained winner in the second race, the Hadwins Handicap Hurdle, as Callum Bewley led 11/4 favourite Johnny Go to the post first for Wigton handler Lisa Harrison.

It was a perennial Cartmel favourite who trained the winner in the Burlington Stone EVF Stallions Beginners’ Chase, as Donad McCain’s Volcanic took the plaudits.

The six-strong field was down to only three contenders as they approached the water jump for the last time, but Clues and Arrows soon faded and Silk Hall could not mount a sufficient challenge to stop Wayne Hutchinson riding his charge to victory.

Amateur rider Harry Reed took the win for trainer Mike Smith on board Bayfirth in the Grant Thornton Handicap Chase.

He had been up at the front of the pack from the start until The Omen, under Michael Byrne, came to prominence on the Wood Side as they headed for home.

The two drove clear and it was The Omen who led after the last, looking to push clear only for Reed to find something extra in Bayfirth’s tank and take matters into his own hands three furlongs from home.

The duo were never in trouble as The Omen weakened and it was a nine-length success for the 100/30 shot as they crossed the line.

It was then the turn of the jockey with the Midas touch at Cartmel, Henry Brooke, to ride winner number six of the year at the course on board Urban Gale.

They led from post to post in the totepool Racing’s Biggest Supporter Handicap Chase and had the stamina to hold off a late charge from Lee Edwards on Troubled to take first place in the three-mile one furlong test and claim the Sadik Memorial Trophy.

Runner-up Troubled is owned and trained by Aytach Sadik, father of the late Cengiz Sadik, after whom the trophy is named.

The day ended with amateur rider Zach Baker taking Carnaross to victory in the EWGA Racing Excellence ‘Hands and Heels’ Handicap Hurdle.