A SYNDICATE snapped up the £6,399 jackpot - the biggest for over two years - at Sunderland Regal Stadium.

Punters had to select the winners of six races and the group of investors had four tickets going into the final leg, a 640m six bend race.

They spread their bet over four different dogs, and although the favourite finished last they still had the winner - Dream Reward, the 3-1 second favourite, which won by an emphatic 8 lengths.

Sunderland regulars are looking forward to the racing debut of exciting newcomer Tell Me Joe.

Trained at Fence Houses by Graham Calvert jnr, the January 2000 Staplers Jo-River Falls black dog has clocked impressive times of 27.90 secs and 27.86 for the standard 450m trip and will go straight into the top A1 grade at the East Boldon track, which is unusual.

But Tell Me Joe, bred and schooled in Ireland, came over with impressive form at the Limerick and Thurles tracks and should establish himself as one of the top graders at Sunderland.

Brough Park hurdles track record holder Ballyhane Rio has bounced back to top form after a lean spell following injury.

The Stuart Ray-trained jumper set new track records in December 2000 and May last year, but after an open race success at the Tyneside track picked up a niggling injury.

The January 1998 Adraville Bridge-Whispering Maid black dog went 15 races without a win.

But the scratch dog, which gives away start of 16 and 17 metres in all his races, has won his last three races in emphatic style, re-establishing himself as the top hurdler in the region.