James Hetherton's horses are running into form again and he teamed up with Dale Gibson to land the £8,000 A Rhodes Handicap with Swynford Pleasure at Ripon on Saturday.

It was a desperately close call with Gibson bringing Swynford Pleasure with a sustained run to collar the luckless Distant Cousin, who was finishing second for the fourth time in a row, in the last stride to win by a short head.

However, enough was a feast for Malton-based Hetherton who said: "Her owner (Peter Bottomley) wants to run her now in a £50,000 handicap over a mile and six furlongs at Haydock next weekend, but I think a mile and a half is her optimum."

Hetherton was taking his score for the season into double figures, and he added: "We had them fit and ready to go so we had a good start to the campaign and had eight winners.

"Then they went off the boil a little as they do, but they are coming back now and this is our second winner in eight days."

With his trainer Sir Mark Prescott and his owners present too, the odds-on Red Damson was all the rage for the Go Racing In Yorkshire Nursery, but he was beaten by Willie Musson's 25-1 chance Breathing Sun whose rider Dean Mernagh judged things to a nicety to get up close home.

Mernagh was taking his tally to 25 and he said: "I am having a brilliant season. I had that many last year, but 12 were on the all-weather while all but one of those this time have been since the Turf season started.

"It is great being with David Barron, he is some trainer and judge of a two-year-old and I have a good record for Mr Musson too - I ride a lot of the horses he sends to run in the north."

Philip Makin, who rode the winner of the race for Arab horses at Chester on Friday, gained his first success for Mark Brisbourne on Ellovamul in the Terry Brockley "Lifetime In Racing" Selling Handicap (for apprentice riders), after which the filly was retained without a bid.

Ben Swarbrick, who rode seventh placed Fortuna Mea, was suspended for two days (September 8 and 9) for careless riding soon after the start.

John Dunlop and his son Ed provided Seb Sanders with a double with respectively Motu in the Andy Street Maiden Stakes and the ultra consistent Swift Tango who took the featured £16,000 Tote Exacta Handicap.

Swift Tango had a comfortable two and a half lengths to spare, while Mick Easterby's New Wish, who was backed from 25-1 to 7-1, finished last.