NEWCASTLE general manager Ian Walton says he would be more than happy to stage the Harry Burton Trophy again after last week’s first running of the Category Two competition staged in memory of the former trainer.

“I’ll have a chat with Harry’s family and, if they would like to continue next year, we will hold it again,” said Walton.

“Of course, it’s a race we never wanted to run, but it honours Harry’s memory and the reaction to it was heartwarming. Harry was loved by so many people – Ian Lavery MP described him as like a brother – and it was probably right that Jimmy Fenwick, another great friend of Harry’s, won the first running.”

Woltemade, trained and owned by Newcastle trainer Fenwick and named after the Newcastle striker, landed a second significant trophy at Newcastle when taking the £3,500 final which supported the £7,500-to-the-winner BGBF British Bred Maiden Derby.

Going to traps the 6-5 favourite, this year’s Arc Northern Puppy Derby champion was quickly away, racing to a 4.43sec sectional, and never looked in danger as the May 2024 son of Ballymac Finn and Ballymac Minton dominated from pillar to post to score by three lengths from kennelmate Elusivenomore in 28.23sec (normal) for the 480m trip.

“I think it shows the overall quality of the race that it was the fastest time of the night by some way, plus that both the first and second of Jimmy’s were Category One winners,” added Walton, who was also delighted how the BGBF British Bred Maiden Derby unfolded – despite the locals being beaten in that final!

“I’ve always said it’s difficult to beat the Newcastle trainers on their home patch, so what Dan (Brabon) did with Queen Katherine was exceptional. He’s turned her out in sparkling form come the final and, while there might have been some hard luck stories in behind, she was away and doing her thing off the front to win the competition well.

“And, of course, that came after Katherine’s brother King Floyd won an earlier supporting open, so Dan has come up from the south to beat the northern trainers – twice.

“Fair play to him. Dan and his team put the miles in to the north east three weeks running and hopefully that shows, again, that it can be done – and we look forward to more southern raiders taking their chance here in future competitions at both Newcastle and Sunderland.”