The Easterby family kept their remarkable form in the Cumberland Plate going as Rousayan won the Carlisle Bell.

In front of several thousand racegoers at the Durdar Road venue, David Egan saddled Rousayan to the historic bell, believed to be the oldest sporting trophy still contested today.

While, in the plate, the Easterby family affair continued. Mick Easterby’s Where’s Jeff won after nephew, Tim, had won the same trophy the previous two years, with Mick’s brother, Peter, having twice won the Cumberland Plate before, too – once in the 1960s and once in the 1970s.

Earlier, there had been a surprise in the first race of the day when Auckland Lodge, a 15/2 shot, beat odds-on favourite Asmund to the line.

“She ran really well,” said jockey Harrison Shaw. “She got bumped at the start and things didn’t quite go her way. But she finished really well.”

John Quinn-trained Keep Busy claimed the second race yesterday, ahead of Iain Jardine’s Alix James. A 100/30 shot, Jason Hart was in the saddle to lead Keep Busy home, with Alix James in second.

Jockey Hart said: “She has improved from the step up at six and I cannot fault her.”

With £5,824 of prize-money on offer for the winner of the Carlisle Bell consolation race, there was a popular victor with Penrith trainer Dianne Sayer’s Jackhammer beating Zoravan, trained by Keith Dalgleish, to the line.

It was their fourth winner from six this year as Sayer continued her impressive recent form at Carlisle.

Her horse, Jackhammer, finished ahead of Zoravan and Jacob Black despite another trained by Sayer, Redarna, starting as the favourite.

“To come here with three runners is great,” said Sayer. “And to win at the local track is fantastic.”

Taking home the Carlisle Bell, the historic trophy which dates back to the reign of Elizabeth I, was trainer Roger Fell’s Rousayan at 14/1.

“Well I suppose, for a small stables, we are doing alright,” said Fell whose team won more than £15,000 in owners’ prize-money for the win.

A close finish saw Mick Easterby’s Where’s Jeff claim the Cumberland Plate, narrowly pipping Groveman and Volcanic Sky to the post.

Winning the plate for the second time, after a success with Warlu Way in 2013, it was also the sixth time a member of the Easterby family had won the Cumberland Plate – Tim had won it the past two years, with Peter having won it once in 1962 and once in 1979.

Mick’s son, David, Mick's assistant trainer, said: “Everyone in racing in the north knows that Carlisle offers double the money for bell and plate day.

"If you have a horse moving forwards, it’s the race you target.”

In the penultimate race, jockey Paul Hanagan and Tapisserie came from wide to win at 5/1, while 6-4 favourite Caustic Love won the final race of the day.