A NORTH racehorse made history at the weekend when he smashed a world record that had stood for almost two decades.

County Durham-based Evenwood Sonofagun earned his place in the history books at York on Saturday when he ran a mile in just one minute 57.5 seconds - the fastest recorded time for a standard bred pacer under saddle.

WINNER: Alexis Laidler has broke the world record for the fastest mile on a half mile track riding Evenwood Son of a Gun she is pictured with her husband Rocker. Picture: SARAH CALDECOTT

Ridden and trained by Alexis Laidler, the five-year-old gelding kept up a blistering pace for two half-mile laps at York Raceway to finish more than six lengths in front of his rivals.

The victory knocked almost two seconds off the old record of 2 minutes flat, which was set in July 1998 when Darla Conklin rode Highly Rated at Northfield Park in Ohio, America.

Mrs Laidler said: “I was over the moon, very proud of him.

“To beat a record that stood for about 20 years was a highlight of our career, a special occasion.”

Mrs Laidler and her husband William have worked with Gunner, as he is affectionately known, at their stables at Kirk Merrington, near Spennymoor, since last June.

The husband and wife duo are the country’s leading trainer and driver in harness racing and Evenwood Sonofagun, bred near Bishop Auckland and owned by Penrith brothers Frank and Raymond Hushka, is one of their favourite horses.

“He finished the season with us last year and came back to prepare for some big racing this year, I train him and William drives him.

“He is now undefeated in his last six starts, which included a saddle race win at Appleby at the end of May, and won at Bellfield and the Welsh Classic last year.

“We’re so lucky and grateful to get to work with him,” said Mrs Laidler.

The 37-year-old knew Gunner was a good pacer, which describes a horse’s gait, with a talent for both ridden, when she gets in the saddle, and sulky racing, when he pulls a carriage driven by 42-year-old Mr Laidler.

But the idea of breaking a world record on him only entered their heads a few days before Saturday’s race.

She said: “There was a really strong field so people were talking about how fast Saturday’s race would be and talking about the world record, everybody was getting all excited.

“I looked up the record and because we’d had some good times I thought it was just about doable, on the day he was outstanding.

“To do it in the time he did would have been fast with a sulky so to do it under saddle is exceptional, there is a big difference which I describe as being the difference between a person being given a big sack of tatties and them either running with it or putting it in a wheelbarrow.

“It is also an amazing achievement to beat a record set in America, the tracks in America and Canada are more advanced than ours as standard breds race for millions and it is as big as thoroughbred racing.”

Mrs Laidler was elated to celebrate in the winner’s enclosure with friends, family and supporters and is able to relive and share the occasion thanks to footage recorded on a headcam.

Gunner was rewarded for his efforts with a day off in his paddock on Sunday before returning to his strict regime, which includes jogging six miles every day, in preparation for an event in Aberystwyth, Wales, this weekend.