ROBSON GREEN made his name portraying Fusilier Dave Tucker in Soldier Soldier, so with yesterday’s meeting at Sedgefield helping to raise money for the British Legion’s Poppy Appeal, perhaps it was only fitting that one of the North-East’s most famous acting faces was an enthusiastic observer at the County Durham track.

Green’s fellow Northumberland Racing Club members were left frustrated when Total Assets narrowly failed to get up in a thrilling finish to the Nortonthorpe Industrial Park Chase, with the Simon Waugh-trained chaser eventually finishing third behind Hughsie (3-1).

But on a grey, wind-swept day that tested the resolve of even the hardiest National Hunt enthusiasts, the Hexham-born actor was still in his element as he indulged one of his two sporting passions.

The success of his Extreme Fishing series means he is now well-known as an angler, but racing remains his first sporting love and while he might not be as prolific as some celebrity owners, he continues to be a keen supporter of the Northern jumps scene.

“I was brought up in Northumberland so I’ve spent many years at places like Sedgefield, Hexham and Cartmel,” said Green, who sportingly presented the winners’ trophy to Welshman Paul Langford, who was celebrating a double on the card.

“I’ve got two horses with Simon – it’s not for the money, it’s for the love of the horses and to be around like-minded people who also love horse racing.

“There’s something theatrical and dramatic about watching jumps racing, and I get much more nervous watching my horses running that I ever do acting on TV.

“I’ve got huge admiration for the people who are out there riding because it takes real nerve to do something like that. I know for a fact I couldn’t do it.”

While Green only had to drive down from his native Northumberland, Langford travelled 280 miles from the Vale of Glamorgan to watch his two horses in action.

The long trek was more than worth it, however, as Hughsie’s gutsy success followed a similarly hard-fought victory for Poulanassy (5-2) in the British Stallion Studs EBF Novices’ Hurdle.

The Northern Echo:

Hughsie repelled a fast finish from the Mick Easterby-trained Rear Admiral after producing a clear round of jumping, and is clearly capable of bigger and better things after defying top weight to win by half-a-length.

Poulanassy, who like Hughsie is trained by Evan Williams, dug deep to see off Sue Smith’s Good Vibration and Rebecca Menzies’ Summer Storm in a battling finish from the final flight.

Brian Ellison is looking forward to going chasing with Smart Talk after she cruised to an effortless victory in the day’s opening Newcastle Flooring Novices’ Hurdle.

The former point-to-point winner followed up her maiden rules success at Worcester with a pillar-to-post victory over limited opposition to justify the heavy market support that led to her starting as a 4-9 favourite.

Boasting plenty of physical scope, Smart Talk looks certain to be even better over the larger obstacles, and her Norton-based handler has suggested that is where she will be targeted next.

“I thought she won that really nicely,” said Ellison, who originally hails from Newcastle. “We’ve won two novices with her now, so she’ll have to step up next time and she looks ready for that.

“She’s basically a chaser waiting to happen. She’s such a lovely jumper that you wouldn’t be worried about sending her over jumps.”

The Northern Echo:

There was a surprise in the feature Class Three Handicap Chase, with 8-1 shot Distime providing West Yorkshire trainer Richard Drake with a welcome winner.

The nine-year-old claimed a novice handicap chase on the same card last season when trained by John Quinn, and while his performances since that success had been patchy at best, he returned to form in style to thwart a sizeable gamble on the Sue Smith-trained favourite Grate Fella.

If Distime’s success was a surprise, then Almost Gemini’s (14-1) victory in the Tony Collins Supporting Richard Farquhar Handicap Hurdle was an even bigger shock.

Trained by Kenneth Slack in Cumbria, Almost Gemini had been off the course for more than 400 days, but returned to ensure that another well-backed favourite, Aniknam, left empty-handed.

The race was named in honour of Richard Farquhar, who was at Sedgefield yesterday as part of his quest to walk 3,000 miles between all the racecourses on mainland Britain to raise £1.4m that will be split between Racing Welfare and Pancreatic Cancer UK.

Former Grand National-winning jockey Gerry Scott was also present to help support Farquhar’s cause, some 55 years after partnering Merryman II to victory over the Aintree fences.

Merryman II was trained by Neville Crump at Middleham, and Scott, who also hails from North Yorkshire, has a special fondness for Sedgefield.

“I rode my first ever winner here at Sedgefield,” Scott told Derek Thompson in the winners’ enclosure. “Mind you, I can’t remember it being as hilly back then.”