JAMES Moffatt should go shopping at Godolphin more often.

The Cartmel trainer has a knack of buying former Flat horses from the famous stable and turning them into handy little numbers over hurdles and fences.

Witness Altruism’s triumph in the Cumbria Crystal Cup here on Saturday, Mondlicht’s previous victories, and now Think Ahead’s easy success for the yard in the Bill McClure Maiden Hurdle.

Henry Brooke found himself in the unplanned position of leading them round after the third, when pace-setter Le Deluge took an unscheduled detour over the railing and the wrong way down the straight, Finian O’Toole battling gamely to get him under control.

At the front of affairs, Think Ahead showed why he was rated 105 on the Flat, and that 255 days without an outing for Moffatt – the first ending prematurely as he pulled up at Newcastle in November – have done him no harm, as he proved a class above.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Rated 105 on the flat for Godolphin, Think Ahead wins easily on his second hurdle start for James Moffatt after 255 days off the track <a href="https://t.co/l0YXqsdgis">pic.twitter.com/l0YXqsdgis</a></p>— Cartmel Racecourse (@Cartmelrace) <a href="https://twitter.com/Cartmelrace/status/889475319714914304">July 24, 2017</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Front-running was no impediment as the challenges of stable-mate Golden Town – a rare former Goldphin horse Moffatt has not turned into a winner – and Dance Rock fell away, leaving him with a four-length lead at the last that grew to nine by the finish.

At 7/1, not many in the cheering crowd had picked this as the winner, but Moffatt and Brooke both recognised the calibre of the six-year-old.

“He’s not a star horse at home, particularly, he’s more workmanlike rather than flashy,” said Moffatt of a horse which was recovering from a condylar fracture when he was bought in May last year. “I probably thought Golden Town (who finished third) would beat him today, but this horse goes on any ground.

“My main concern was his jumping. It was like there were little gremlins running along the top of the hurdles at Newcastle, but today he has had to do it the hard way, because the other horse has run out.”

He added of his ninth victory of the year at the track: “We’ve has Altruism (from Godolphin), Mondlicht – who has won, but is a bit of a monkey – and Golden Town, who has been desperately unlucky. That’s three out of four that have won – but if you get a 105-rated Flat horse, you should be winning a maiden hurdle around Cartmel.

“He’s was £18,000. If you go to try and buy a point-to-pointer from Ireland for £18,000, you’ll get a load of rubbish. I’d rather get an ex-Flat horse, cut our cloth accordingly, and buy ability.

“I like to go and get them after someone has spent £100,000 on them, spend £10,000 on them and try to prove a point.”

As for Brooke, he adapted to the position of front-running well, and said: “The horse has been as genuine as anything. It’s his second run, he only jumped a few the first time, so he has done it the hard way from the front.

“I’m on the best horse on Flat ratings, in a different league, and he is very good. He’s not beaten much, but I’m very pleased with him.”

Another of those former Godolphin horses, Mondlicht went in the Marstons Handicap Hurdle and, for the first time in three races, did not refuse at the start.

However, despite being up among the leading pack of five approaching the last, Brian Hughes could not take him on as Ross Chapman rode Pretty Miss Mahler to the win.

Sean Bowen took 11/4 favourite Cougar’s Gold to the win for trainer father Peter in the Heart FM Handicap Hurdle after a battle up the straight with Danny Mullins on 14-year-old veteran See Double You as the sun finally broke through the cloud-cover.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Peter Bowen's Cougar's Gold makes the 420-mile round trip worthwhile as he gamely fends off 14yo See Double You in a thrilling finish <a href="https://t.co/DK6H3lRyzN">pic.twitter.com/DK6H3lRyzN</a></p>— Cartmel Racecourse (@Cartmelrace) <a href="https://twitter.com/Cartmelrace/status/889492633818497024">July 24, 2017</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

It was a quick double for the Bowen family, with Sean then guiding 2/1 favourite Flying Eagle to an easy 14-length success in the Weatherbys Racing Bank Beginners’ Chase, no-one getting near as he pulled away on the Wood Side on the last time round.

Brooke completed a double of his own for trainer Martin Todhunter as he rode 6/4 favourite Wisty to a dominant triumph in the Kintail Holiday Cottage Handicap Chase. The final six-length margin did not reflect the utter dominance of horse and rider, with no-one – including Moffatt pair Fantasy King and Nicolas Chauvin – coming close.

For Brooke, it was as easy as it looked.

“We’re off our last mark, we were in novice company then, back in the handicap today, and he’s in some good form,” said Brooke.

“He likes going left-handed. Martin has brought him back, his horses are in great form, he’s had a double on the day, and it’s nice to be part of a team that’s thriving.

“It’s a simple ride. He goes from the front, shows them how good he is early on, and I’m very impressed with him.”

The other joint-feature on the card, the Longlands at Cartmel Handicap Chase, went to amateur rider Becky Smith on board Camilas Wish for Garstang trainer Richard Ford.

The duo were involved in an engrossing battle with Finian O’Toole and Alderbrook Lad – a winner here at the last meeting – after the last, finally pulling away as they reached the home straight.

“They’re two daft things together, and they just get on great,” said Ford of a pairing who have won four times together.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Camillas Wish maintains her 100% record here <a href="https://twitter.com/Cartmelrace">@Cartmelrace</a> and records her 5th win from her last 6 starts <a href="https://t.co/uhdWpZiQmY">pic.twitter.com/uhdWpZiQmY</a></p>— Cartmel Racecourse (@Cartmelrace) <a href="https://twitter.com/Cartmelrace/status/889517334796189696">July 24, 2017</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Steven Fox rounded the day off with victory on the unfancied Ange Des Malberaux in the Wainwright Ale Handicap Hurdle.