Kent trainer Murty McGrath has been a rare visitor to Market Rasen Racecourse over the years, but he landed the first major race of 2019 at the Lincolnshire track.

Victory with Who What When, under jockey Josh Moore, in the Listed Alan Swinbank Mares’ Standard Open National Hunt Flat Race was his biggest success to date as a trainer. The 12-1 shot turned over the odds-on favourite Mrs Hyde who was runner-up.

The £20,000 contest is named after the late northern trainer Alan Swinbank who had a fitting connection to Thursday’s win as Murty McGrath’s first winner as a trainer 14 years ago was with a horse which had left Swinbank’s Yorkshire yard.

The racecourse’s leading trainer Dan Skelton was also among the winners as 7-1 chance Value At Risk won the Weatherbys Racing Bank Handicap Chase under conditional jockey William Marshall.

The first race of 2019, the MansionBet Novices’ Hurdle, went to the even-money market leader Garrettstown, the second year in a row that trainer Olly Murphy has sent out the winner of the contest.

The next two prizes travelled north to Yorkshire. Weakfield, trained by Brian Ellison, won the MansionBet Handicap Hurdle at 8-1, while the MansionBet Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle was taken by Sue Smith’s Minella Fiveo at 14-1.

In the final two contests, 13-2 fancy Compadre landed the MansionBet Handicap Chase, while the concluding Download The MansionBet App Handicap Chase was won by Houndscourt at 7-1 for Yorkshire trainer Joanne Foster.

The next meeting at Market Rasen Racecourse is the County Raceday on Tuesday, 5th February.