Video: Wetherby left smiling as jump season begins

The perfect autumnal afternoon, an impressive crowd and racing ground described by jockeys and trainers as "perfect" had Jonjo Sanderson, the chief executive and clerk of the course, beaming and rightly so.

"This is the best ground we have had since I came here three years ago," said Sanderson, reflecting on the work carried out on the course in the wake of the realignment of the A1M.

"All the jockeys have been full of praise and that is testimony to the great work of our head groundsman Ian Ward and his team, not least over the past summer.

"Now we can look forward to the rest of the season knowing the racecourse is in excellent condition, that our prize money is at the same level as last year despite the fall in the levy and that the feature race of our season, the Bet365 Charlie Hall Chase on October 30 has a prize fund of 100,000."

Yesterday's big race, in memory of the late Bobby Renton, one of the great characters of Yorkshire racing, who trained at Oxclose near Ripon, sent out Freebooter to win the 1950 Grand National and rode in his last race at the age of 75, provided plenty for the busy enclosures to enjoy.

Drever Route, the 11-4 favourite trained at Crook by Howard Johnson and ridden with admirable confidence by Timmy Murphy, landed the winner's prize of 4,275 when he outstayed Film Festival (17-2) trained at Malton by Brian Ellison with Kirkhammerton, a 10-1 chance filling third place.

Ellison had claimed the honours in the opening race of Wetherby's season when Bring Sweet, with Feargal Davis in the saddle took the Rachel Wright Memorial Hurdle at 11-2 after Danceintothelight had taken a crashing fall at the next to last obstacle, horse and rider Barry Keniry thankfully rising from the ground unhurt.

Pistol Basc (7-1) took the 20 per cent discount online at Wetherby Chase under conditional jockey Paul Gallagher to open West Witton-based trainer Ferdy Murphy's seasonal account of Wetherby, responding well to a positive ride to see off the 9-2 joint favourites Archie's Wish and Executive's Hall.

The biggest gamble of the day was on Maska Pony, trained at Middleham by George Moore, whose price was cut from an opening 6-1 to 11-4 in the Totesport.com Handicap Hurdle.

Bold front-running tactics by Graham Lee rewarded the backers as he took up the running from the tape and was only headed as the last hurdle beckoned.

Lee coaxed a magnificent leap from Maska Pony and drove out his mount to a well-deserved victory.