It was an unforgettable day for Cartmel trainer James Moffatt last Saturday, as he completed a double on the cards to record his 50th winner at his ‘home’ racecourse course.

Moffatt won the feature of the day, the William Hill Cartmel Cup, with 33/1 shot The Steward, with Callum Bewley, before racking up his landmark winner in the last race of the meeting with Think Ahead, who was brilliantly ridden by Barrow’s Charlotte Jones.

The opening race of the day, the Novices’ Hurdle, went the way of the Irish raider in Wooster, who travelled strongly under talented young jockey James Bowen, before picking off the field after the last hurdle to scorch to an easy nine-length victory.

Another trainer who saddles plenty of winners at the course in Sam England took the Mares’ Handicap Hurdle, after a perfectly timed ride from Jonathan England allowed his mount to win cosily in the end by four lengths.

The Moffatt-trained Mega Double finished second despite a good ride from Bewley, whose time was to come later in the afternoon.

Course favourite Tonto’s Spirit, who usually saves his best for the track, produced another gutsy display after he held off Garo De Julley towards the finish to claim another course success for Penrith trainer Dianne Sayer and jockey Connor O’Farrell with the horse leading the Novices’ Chase from start to finish.

O’Farrell said afterwards: “He didn’t feel great the last couple of times I rode him, but he seemed to really enjoy the going today and maybe that’s the type of horse he is now, with him lacking a gear he used to have but he’s jumped beautifully and he’s a simple ride.”

The Handicap Chase allowed Irish Trainer Noel Kelly to rack up a double on the cards when Mash Potato was an easy winner under jockey Sean Bowen.

Henry Brooke managed to hold on to claim the Cengiz Sadik Memorial Trophy under Nortonthorpelegend in the most exciting finishes of the day as a late charge from Pretty Miss Mahler wasn’t enough to prevent Rebecca Menzies’ gelding holding on by three-quarters of a length.

However, the attention all then went to Moffatt who picked up his magnificent double in the final two races of the day.

On board The Steward, Bewley put in an excellent performance on the eight-year-old gelding, who was handicapping for the first time and he tracked another course favourite in Beeno up until the second last where Bewley then took up the running and never saw another rival to record an eight-length victory.

Victory in the Cartmel Cup put Moffatt one win away from the milestone he’s had his eye on all year, during which his horses have found form.

After the race, he said: “49 winners, its 49 winners isn’t it? It’s the race we wanted to win with him and even though I’m disappointed with Lough Kent, I’m just happy he’s won with handicapping for the first time.”

When also asked about his chances of making it 50 winners in the last he said, “there’s more chances of being run over by a bus.”

However, Moffatt couldn’t have been more wrong as Think Ahead won by two lengths under Charlotte Jones with a superb front running performance as she rode her first Cartmel winner since 2017.

Jones said: “I’ve worked for James for four years now and it’s just brilliant. A lot of praise has to go to the other people who work behind the scenes to get the horses out, but I’m just happy to ride another winner at my local track.”

Moffatt said: “I’ve been in racing all my life and I grew up here, so to get this around here is fantastic.

“I’ve had winners at Cheltenham and Aintree and other places around but it means an awful lot to me to get this many winners with local owners as well.”