A THRILLING finish to the feature race adorned the second North Yorkshire point-to-point meeting since restrictions were eased.

Five horses went to the post for the Grimthorpe Gold Cup during the Middleton meeting - hosted at Sheriff Hutton by permission of Mick Easterby - with veteran Cup Final claiming the win.

Former winner One Conemara took his place in the line up for the fifth time and took the field along for most of the race but was pestered most of the way by Cup Final, trained by Sarah Dent, and the 12-year-old battled hard up the run-in.

Cup Final had only the efforts of Point The Way and Joe Wright to fend off in the end and, with a good jump at the last, stayed on in gutsy style to win by two lengths.

Going was described as good, good to firm in places and, though run behind closed doors, fans could follow the action on the live stream hosted by former jockey Andrew Thornton.

Jack Teal, aboard Shepherds Cave, marked his return from a two-year injury-enforced absence by taking the opening Hunt Members race.

Division one of the Open Maiden went the way of Cheshire raider Cotton Rock while division two saw the Coward team get off the mark with Cool Desire, partnered by Jack Andrews for local owner John and Jenny Nellis.

The Oriental Club Conditions race marked a first career win for rider Tara Stockwell, who rode and trained the former Rebecca Menzies inmate Mr Witmore, while the most impressive winner of the day came in the final two mile, four furlong maiden. Rafferty, trained by Jonathan Barlow, made it a pillar-to-post success with his young rider Lewis Dobb as they eased home 20 lengths clear.

Dark Mahler scored in the Conditions race under Joe Wright for trainer Freya Brewer, and the Restricted race went the way of the very consistent Dressedforsuccess under pilot Tom Greenwood for trainer James Latham.