Dr Robin won the £25,000 Handicap Hurdle for the fourth year in a row after a fantastic performance in one of the feature races of the final meeting of the season at Cartmel Racecourse yesterday.

Superbly ridden by Sean Bowen, racing for his father Peter, Dr Robin saw off the challenge of Champion Jockey Richard Johnson on Angel Of Harlem before powering clear after the final jump to finish nine lengths clear of Justatenner and Harry Reed.

The James Moffatt-trained Boruma mounted a good challenge but fell on the second-to-last hurdle to prevent one more win for Brian Hughes, who had already secured the Jockeys Challenge for the fifth time in six years.

Sean Bowen said: “He wasn’t really doing much in front and then as soon as another horse would come to him, he’d take off. He obviously enjoys it around here because that’s his third win of the season here, so obviously ‘horses for courses’ and he loves it.”

Ardera Cross and Sam Coltherd proved to be a winning combination again as the eight-year-old gelding, trained by Willie Young Jnr, claimed his second Cartmel victory of the year in the £25,000 Handicap Chase.

The first of three Class 2 races of the afternoon proved to be a cracker as Ardera Cross, who was also ridden to victory by Coltherd at the course last month, overtook early leader Wells de Lune five out.

While Sean Bowen’s pre-race favourite dropped back, Nietzsche (with Henry Brooke) emerged as the main challenger and the race came down to a thrilling run-in between two horses who are strong on the flat.

Eventually, Ardera Cross held off a very strong finish from Nietzsche, with the front two leaving Adrrastos behind in third, to win by three-quarters of a length.

Scottish jockey Coltherd said: “He showed his strength on that run-in, he stuck his neck out and he kept fighting right until the line.

Misty Young has done a great training performance with him, he’s kept him fresh and that’s his fourth win in seven runs and he’s won about £35,000 after only costing around £1,000, so that’s some purchase.

“I’ve had a great season so far and it’s only just getting going. That was my ninth win of the season, so hopefully I can keep my head down, stay injury-free and I should have a good season.”

After reaching the milestone of 50 winners at his local track as a jockey or trainer by claiming the final two races last Saturday, Cartmel’s Moffatt began his next half-century by picking up where he left off in the opening Novices’ Hurdle, thanks to Mega Double.

Ridden by Hughes, the five-year-old mare was too good for the rest as she finished nine lengths ahead of Aptly Put and Callum Bewley to give Moffatt the one-two.

Two superb finishes on the run-in allowed Richie McLernon and Middleham trainer Ben Haslam to make it a double on a successful final afternoon.

Firstly, Lady Shanawell overtook What Will Be and Johnson around 100 yards out to win the Juvenile Hurdle (a race run by three-year-olds) by one length.

McLernon then repeated the trick on Demi Sang in the £15,000 Handicap Chase as he chased down Asockastar and Shane Quinlan before finishing two-and-a-half lengths clear.

The most dominant performance of the day came in the £20,000 Handicap Chase from Traditional Dancer, with Ross Chapman on board, who got off to a flyer and maintained a huge lead throughout.

After nearest challenger Max Do Brasil unseated Tom Scudamore, the seven-year-old gelding, who is trained by Iain Jardine, won by a huge margin of 12 lengths, ahead of Henryville.

The final race of the season on the course, the Class 5 Handicap Hurdle, was taken by Chocolat Noir, who was ridden by Danny Cook and is trained by Penrith’s Martin Todhunter.