Best North Yorkshire racing moments of 2012

10) Return of the Malton Stables Open Day
NOT strictly a moment on the track but, after a decade absence, the revived look around the racing stables of Malton was a massive success – with thousands of visitors flocking as 22 trainers showcased more than 1,000 horses in August.

There were also demonstrations of saddlery, farriery, equine physiotherapy and dentistry, not to mention retired racehorses Knot In Wood and Elverys, now re-trained for the show ring, doing their stuff and exhibitions by Racing For Change and the Northern Racing College.

9) Countrywide Flame Fights to win the Fifth
AT a lowly nine only because his other exploits appear much further down this list, Countrywide Flame’s stunning win in bottomless ground at Newcastle’s Fighting Fifth Hurdle at the start of December has firmly established Norton trainer John Quinn’s four-year-old as a solid contender for March’s Champion Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.

It wasn’t just the win that was impressive but the manner – a 12 length whipping of the highly regarded Cinders And Ashes – which saw bookmakers take a scythe to his price for similar success at Prestbury Park.

8) Body And Soul a Classic contender?
IF she trains on, Great Habton trainer Tim Easterby has quite a filly on his hands in Body And Soul.

A wonderful two-year-old campaign in 2012 saw the Captain Rio filly claim the £250,000 Weatherbys Super Sprint at Newbury in July before sweeping to the Two-Year- Old Trophy at Redcar in October.

Could Classic races be on the cards next year?

7) Freddie Tylicki’s five-timer in the Toon
THE German-born rider has been through a lot in his short career.

The thrilling high of John Smith’s Cup victory at York and the massive low of a terrible shoulder injury that kept him off the track for many months.

But Freddie Tylicki is a superbly talented young rider and, at Newcastle in September, he was the jockey with the Midas touch. Five winners, from five rides, for five different trainers at the same meeting.

If you had backed all of his mounts, you would have been jumping for joy at cumulative odds of 7,435-1.

6) Jacqueline Coward is the Queen of York...again
NO horse had ever won the Queen Mother’s Cup at York Racecourse twice – Europe’s grandest contest for lady amateur riders – but Scackleton jockey Jacqueline Coward provided a repeat dose when teaming up with Crackentorp for back-to-back victories in the mile-and-a-half contest in June.

Coward, more used to victory in the Point-to-Point arena, was naturally thrilled. Not least because she was rewarded with her weight in champagne, six cases of Pol Roger, after being weighed on antique scales in the winners’ enclosure.

She is now at the head of a roll of honour which includes Princess Anne, who won the race in the late 1980s.

5) Barefoot Lady’s transatlantic triumphs
TOUGH, consistent, and with a huge will to win, Richard Fahey’s durable four-year-old, previously a winner of the Musidora Stakes at York, enjoyed another fabulous season.

First she returned to Knavesmire to grab the Listed Lyric Fillies’ Stakes on Music Showcase weekend in July before following up in fantastic fashion when travelling to Toronto and landing the Grade 2 Canadian International at Woodbine at odds of 36-5 in September.

4) Malcolm Jefferson’s doubledouble
THE Norton trainer had waited 17 years since his last Cheltenham Festival winner and then, like buses, two came along at once.

Cape Tribulation was magnificent in winning the Pertemps Final and he was quickly followed by Attaglance in the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle under Harry Haynes.

But if that was a spectacular training performance, then Jefferson topped it when managing to prepare the pair to win at the Grand National meeting at Aintree just a couple of weeks later. Cape Tribulation added the Grade 3 Silver Cross Handicap Hurdle, while Attaglance won a Listed handicap hurdle in Liverpool.

3) Mayson’s all-conquering season
HAD Wizz Kid not mugged him on the line in the final strides of the Group 1 Prix de l’Abbaye at Longchamp in October, Richard Fahey’s remarkable sprinter would have been a contender for the number one berth in this list.

A quite fabulous season for the four-year-old, the star of the Musley Bank stables, saw him claim the Listed Abernant Stakes at Newmarket in April and the Group 3 Palace House Stakes at Newmarket the following month.

The biggest success, though, was when he gave Fahey, and jockey Paul Hanagan their first British Group 1 success after winning the Darley July Cup at Newmarket. A profitable career at stud awaits.

2) Countrywide Flame wins the Triumph Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival
HE was an overlooked 33-1 outsider for the Triumph, but Norton trainer John Quinn knew his talented jumper could land a telling blow if things went right at Prestbury Park. They did and Countrywide Flame became the first Ryedaletrained winner of a Grade 1 Festival contest this century.

He beat Hisaabaat by three lengths in the £100,000 race – hitting the front after the final hurdle and being driven out by former Crambeck-based rider Dougie Costello to the line.

The sky is now the limit for the horse. Continuing to belie his small stature, he will again be one of the leading lights at the National Hunt showpiece meeting in March.

1) Frankel wins the Juddmonte International at York
FEW who were there will ever forget the visit of the world’s greatest racehorse to York in August. The imperious Frankel drew a record crowd to the opening day of the Ebor Festival and everyone who came witnessed a thoroughbred at his very best.

Taking on a mile-and-a-quarter for the first time in his unbeaten career, Frankel annihilated a top class field of Group 1 horses and smashed nearest rival Farhh by seven lengths to crown the first £1 million raceday on Knavesmire.

It was fitting that Sir Henry Cecil, battling serious illness with dignity and charm, was able to attend – having missed the wonderhorse’s last run – and the pair were given the warmest of receptions in the winners’ enclosure.

Horses of his ilk come along once in a generation. How lucky we all were to see Frankel add to his legend in a wonderful day at York.