OPEN EAGLE turned the Betfred November Handicap into a rout for North Yorkshire trainer David O’Meara as Ryedale enjoyed a fantastic finale to racing’s Flat turf season.

The region enjoyed three winners on the traditional last day of the season at Doncaster, headed by Open Eagle, who flew to a 12-length success in the meet’s big race.

The gelding – who ironically had been offered up at Tattersalls Sales at Newmarket less than a fortnight earlier but was led out unsold at 15,000 guineas and returned to Ryedale – was a winner at Redcar last Tuesday and made a mockery of his 4lb penalty as jockey Danny Tudhope executed a cunning plan on the Town Moor course.

Tudhope steered a wide course early on – tactics which were credited to long-time racing journalist and race-reader Walter Glynn, who lives at Helmsley. Nawton-based O’Meara said: “He ran well in this race last year (when third).

“History says you can go wide and gain a bit of an advantage here so from stall 18 it made sense and Danny executed it perfectly. “I said to Danny to be brave. There wasn’t an awful lot left for him, with this being the last day of the season, and he has all winter to recover.”

As Tudhope took 15-2 favourite Open Eagle down the far side of the track seeking better ground, Jamie Spencer, in his last British turf ride before retirement, led the bulk of the field on Dashing Star on the inner.

Open Eagle, travelling with ease, hit the front with a couple of furlongs to run and romped home from Aramist, with Dashing Star and Communicator fourth.

O’Meara added: “It was our friend Walter Glynn’s idea to go wide and Danny executed it perfectly.”

Meanwhile, the Mick Easterby-trained Aetna (8-1) powered through the testing conditions to bag a first Listed win in the Betfred “Goals Galore” Wentworth Stakes.

The four-year-old filly - who is to race on in 2015 - showed her ability to handle soft ground with victory at York in May and she again excelled on the heavy going as she won by a smooth two and three-quarter lengths under Graham Gibbons from Lancelot Du Lac, with Spinatrix third.

Sheriff Hutton-based Easterby said: “I might take her to France now. She loves that ground.”

The other Ryedale success came via Levitate, a 4-1 favourite, who landed his fourth course triumph as he repeated last year’s victory in the Betfred Supporting Jack Berry House Handicap.

Norton trainer John Quinn’s mudlover revelled in the conditions as he swept to the front inside the final furlong to score by three lengths from Lulu The Zulu, with King Torus another length away in third.

“He loves it here and to be fair he’s run well all year, but he really needs this ground to be at his best,” said Quinn. “He’ll come back here for the Lincoln again.”