Fiona Needham's pride after Sine Nomine's Cheltenham Festival win

Needham’s popular grey mare struck a blow for the people who make up the backbone of Yorkshire point-to-point and National Hunt racing when winning the St James's Place Festival Challenge Cup Open Hunters' Chase on Friday.

And in a nice twist, Saturday saw the staging of Sine Nomine’s ‘home’ point, the Hurworth Hunt, who were staging their meeting at Hutton Rudby, meaning her supporters could celebrate her success in style.

Needham told The Yorkshire Post: “She has come out of it fine. I think she was like the rest of us, she was on quite a high and then on Saturday lunchtime she went ‘I’m a bit tired now’...

“She had Saturday afternoon off, so we went to the point at Hutton Rudby. We didn’t have any runners but we took the trophy and carried on celebrating which was great.

“The way she did it was a little bit heart-in-mouth, but in the end she won well.

"But yes, I must admit as she landed over the last, I was like ‘well third’s a good one’ and then she just out her head down and boy did she battle and actually she won quite cosily in the end.”

Needham was full of praise for jockey John Dawson, who has ridden the eight-year-old since she was young and in all her appearances under rules and between the flags.

“I never expected her to produce that turn of foot.

“I had said to John – and I didn’t really give him any other instructions – but reading the form of the others, they could outstay you, but you will have more pace so just save as much as possible for the hill.

“He was very cool and rode her brilliantly and I also said ‘if we are not good enough, then just don’t worry about it!’ But it was a dream it really was.”

It completed a double in the race formerly known as the Foxhunters’ Chase, often referred to as the ‘amateur Gold Cup’ for Needham and her family, stalwarts and big supporters of the White Rose pointing scene. She claimed the 2002 version riding 20-1 shot Last Option – a horse bred, owned and trained by her father, Robin Tate.

Sine Nomine – whose name means ‘without name' in Latin – is also owned by Tate and Needham was thrilled by the reception the horse received – even if it took her a while to get to the finish.

Needham, general manager and clerk of the course at Catterick, said: “I was shouting and screaming as she flew up the hill, I blew up after about 50 yards so by the time I got up to collect them, John had done his interview and everything.

“She got a wonderful reception and bless John, he kept saying all the way back down, ‘did we really just do that?!’ It was great.

“I was also speaking to the farrier today and he said you have done an awful lot of good and you won’t realise it, but you have given all the ‘little people’ hope that they can do it too and that was a lovely thing for him to say

“You do get the big professional yards and a lot of people think ‘oh we can’t take them on’, but we can.”

Sine Nomine arrived back at her stables near Boltby outside Thirsk at 12.30am on Saturday morning and Needham explained: “We came back the same night and it was a long long day.

“I think that is why she was tired – the travelling as much as anything.

“We got to bed about 2am as we still had things to do and then we had a quick drink to celebrate.

“On Saturday, we went to the point-to-point and then John and his wife Alice had a little party after racing and we will have one later.

“Sine Nominee is qualified with the Hurworth Hunt, our local one. Everyone was in great spirits, it was just wonderful.

“We took the trophy, which we can keep for 12 months – Cheltenham asked if we wanted to take it away – and we said of course we do!

“It’s our horse but it is Yorkshire pointing’s success which is great.”