Class told in the Listed Colin Parker Memorial Chase at Carlisle last Sunday with the 1/2 favourite Lostintranslation treating racegoers to a scintillating exhibition of jumping.

But the feature event apart, the honours went to local stables with Maurice Barnes heading the list with a commanding success from Bafana Blue in the valuable Cumberland Chase.

A jubilant quartet of local owners netted a cool £15,000 for their wins but an equally delighted trainer is now left puzzling over the immediate future for his progressive chaser. Partnered by Ross Chapman,

Bafana Blue had scored well at Carlisle’s previous meeting and had every right to follow up in Sunday’s competitive Class 3 event but his wide-margin victory is sure to have alerted the handicapper and the eight-year-old will face another hike in the weights and may well have to ply his trade in even classier company. That is for another day, however, and for the moment let us savour a splendid win.

The Nigel Twiston-Davies duo of Ballymalin and Scotchtown had shaded the market but Bafana Blue was well supported at around 9/2 and with a confident Ross Chapman allowing his mount to cruise into a challenging position early in the home straight, Bafana Blue strode clear from two out to put his rivals to the sword.

Sunday’s card had begun with happy Greystoke supporters celebrating an 8/1 win for Glenduff in the hands of Brian Hughes. Nicky Richards trains this promising youngster for Trevor Hemmings and steered into the lead before taking the penultimate flight, Glenduff comfortably held the efforts of the Colin Tizzard hotpot.

The smiles were for Dianne Sayer and Danny McMenamin after Frightened Rabbit had made all the running to justify 3/1 favouritism in the 2m handicap hurdle. The popular Cumbrian-owned dual-purpose performer rattled home in front to score at Cartmel in July, but had run up a sequence of near misses over the subsequent three months.

There were to be no worries on Sunday as he was allowed to enjoy himself at the head of affairs, Frightened Rabbit pulled out extra from two out to record a deserved success.

The Colin Parker Chase has been won by a star-studded cast over the last six years and Lostintranslation will prove a worthy addition to the list. Already proven as a top class novice chaser, he could not have made a more impressive start to his second season as a chaser. His jumping was a joy to watch and on this evidence he will be winning at the highest level.

Ryan Day has been seen to excellent effect on two important rides over the past week. He set the example to his fellow jockeys at Wetherby last Friday by keeping wide on Guitar Pete in the Listed Chase, avoiding the churned up inside route and bringing Guitar Pete with a race-winning challenge down the stands side.

Ryan adopted similar intelligent tactics on Chapel Stile in the Gordon Richards Memorial Chase at Carlisle. Chapel Stile was sent off at 22/1 and Ryan again chose the outside route finding the better ground and giving his mount the best chance to line up his fences on his chasing debut.

Chapel Stile responded with a powerful late run which took him into a most creditable third. He will have learned plenty from the experience and should be followed in coming novice chases.

Guitar Pete will be heading for the feature handicap chase at Cheltenham tomorrow week. He finished third in the corresponding race last season and, on the strength of his recent Wetherby victory, has to be fancied to go very close at Prestbury Park.

Ayr’s fixture last Saturday took a modest third place behind the classy cards at Wetherby, Ascot and Down Royal but that won’t have worried either Maurice Barnes or Tristan Davidson.

As mentioned here last Friday, both local trainers were hopeful about the winning chances of Knockoura in the novice chase and Justatenner in the 3m hurdle. They were right. Knockoura had advertised his talents with his eye-catching second to Windsor Avenue at Sedgefield and he boosted his growing reputation by jumping boldly and leading throughout at Ayr.

Knockoura had decent form on the point to point scene in Ireland and the Edinburgh Woollen Mills owned gelding looks to have a bright future under rules.

Harry Reed was at his tactical best on Justatenner, producing him from off the pace at the exact moment to bring his stamina into full cry. The splendidly consistent Justatenner played his part with typical tenacity and one can only hope for reasonable reaction from the handicapper.

Jimmy Moffatt’s The Steward adopted hid usual positive tactics in the Scottish Champion Hurdle Trial but on this more galloping track and in this better company he understandably tired and dropped back from the home turn.

Monday sees the action back at Carlisle with the Graduation Chase the feature event of the afternoon. The five-day entries for the meeting will be revealing and possible runners from either Brian Ellison and Nicky Richards will be of particular interest.

Meanwhile, both Kelso and Aintree provide the attention tomorrow and perhaps because of the proximity of Monday’s card at Carlisle there are very sparse entries from Cumbrian stables. Nicky Richards has Bernardelli and Western Ruler pencilled in for the chases at Kelso and the former has a sound record at the Border course.

The Turf season on the Flat used to go out with a bang at Doncaster’s November meeting. Now, alas, it subsides with a whimper. Some interest is retained through the November Handicap though and Keith Dalgliesh can seal another fine campaign with success from his genuine handicapper Alright Sunshine.