A moment of history will be made as Catterick Bridge brings down the curtain on its 2026 Flat season tomorrow.
For trainer Bryan Smart will be joined on the license by his daughter Beth who becomes the first woman to train out of historic Hambleton House – which dates back to 1612.
The pair saddle their first horse under the new partnership – Cyberspace – in the opening five-furlong Racing To School EBF Maiden Stakes (12.40).
Paul Mulrennan takes the ride on a horse bidding to break his maiden at the fourth time of asking, having finished second the last two times at Redcar and Hamilton.
The Smarts and Mulrennan also team up with Surprised in the seven-furlong Every Race Live On Racing TV Handicap (3.10), though her recent form suggests she’d be living up to her name if she goes in.
The application of cheekpieces for the first time might help.
Beth Smart told The Yorkshire Post: "It is really exciting and it is nice to show that we are pushing forward and preparing for the future as well.
"It is an exciting time for the yard and us as a family.
"In terms of day to day matters, not a huge amount will change. Maybe in a few years time – but there are no hard and fast plans yet."
On becoming the first woman to train out of the historic stables, she said: “I really enjoy history and I might have gone down that path if I hadn’t gone down this one.
"The area is so historic and I have looked back in the record books and it is pretty amazing to think of all the people that have been here over 100s of years and it is now mine name as well. It is pretty special.
"This area [the Hambleton Hills] was competing with Newmarket way back then but I think the location probably did for it and also being so high up.”
Bryan Smart is a miner’s son who hails from Royston, near Barnsley and has sent out 918 winners in a near 40-year career.
He bought Hambleton House from Les Eyre, when he retired 24 years ago and plans to carry on training.
Beth said: "We have had a good season and won the Ayr Silver Cup in September so that was really special and I led the horse up on the day.
"It was a shame we didn’t get all the administration for the joint-licence sorted by then.
“It was nice to have a big winner as we probably haven’t had won since Alpha Delphini won the Nunthorpe in 2018, so it was good to win a big race, on a Saturday, on ITV and show everyone we still mean business.”
On Tuesday’s runners, on the soft going, she said: “We are hopeful with Cyberspace that he will run again having been second the last twice. “There’s just a question mark with the ground and draw.
"It would be nice to start with a bang, but what will be, will be.”
Yorkshire’s leading trainer Tim Easterby has looks set to wrap up the track’s own title again, as he is on 13 winners, five clear of Ruth Carr, who has eight. Easterby’s stable jockey, David Allan, leads the way in the riders’ standings with 12, four clear of Jason Hart.
Meanwhile, Josh Moore has one eye on the Grand National with Blow Your Wad as he prepares to start his season in the bet365 Charlie Hall Chase at Wetherby on Saturday.
Moore said: “All being well the Charlie Hall Chase is where we will start him. He looks very well and we’re very happy with where he is to start.”
Blow Your Wad is one of 10 entries for the Grade Two event with last year’s second Pic d’Orhy, now in the care of Dan Skelton in the mix alongside Paddy Neville’s The Real Whacker, who won the race two years ago, while Konfusion, who won last season’s Rowland Meyrick at the West Yorkshire track, is in for Joel Parkinson and Sue Smith.
Sedgefield racecourse has been fined £6,500 after a jockey was taken to hospital in a horsebox after the ambulance cover had gone home and the injury was too painful for him to get into a car.