Robert Winston and Duran Fentiman ended up benefiting from a faulty sauna at Pontefract on Tuesday.
Both riders picked up spare rides as the intended jockeys of Winthorpe and Collateral Damage were unable to do the weights due to an electrical malfunction.
It was unfortunate for both Jamie Moriarty and David Allan respectively but as both winning trainers suggested, the horses would not have won if the original jockeys had taken their mounts.
Winston, who also partnered Bugsy's Boy to success in the two-mile Jamaican Flight Handicap, came with a flying run on Winthorpe to deny the gambled-on Swinbrook at 25-1.
"Jamie couldn't claim, he would have put 3lb overweight up which wiped out his claim," said trainer John Quinn.
"And if he had ridden it he wouldn't have won, he's only just got up so it definitely made the difference."
Collateral Damage (9-2 favourite) had an unproductive spell hurdling in the winter but won cosily for Tim Easterby, who said: "He's a cracking good horse this.
"He's been hurdling and I didn't want to believe that he didn't stay, but I suppose now that he didn't.
"David would have put up 2lb over so I decided I would claim 3lb off instead and the 5lb has certainly made all the difference."
Bugsy's Boy (13-2) was having first ever run on turf having being exclusively campaigned on the all-weather to date.
Winning trainer Paul D'Arcy said: "He was a back-end juvenile and the turf racing had finished and then there were no races over his right distance.
"We gave him a break, he strengthened up and as he's by Double Trigger - all he was going to be was a stayer."
Stacey Renwick gave Red Wine a fantastic ride to win the first round of the Pontefract Apprentice Series Handicap.
A winner at Doncaster on Saturday, the refreshed nine-year-old was given plenty to do in the closing stages but without resorting to the whip, Renwick got a fantastic tune out of the 9-4 shot to beat 11-10 favourite Riguez Dancer.
"She carried out my instructions perfectly, even if my heart was pumping a bit," said winning trainer Alan McCabe.
"I took a bit of stick for putting her up so she has proved all her critics wrong."
Richard Fahey's Flying Clarets (12-1) is set for a trip to Ireland for a race her stable companion Anna Pavlova won last year after a cosy success in the Easter Holiday Handicap.
"I think we'll send her for the Listed race (Salsabil Stakes) we won with Anna Pavlova last year," said Fahey.
"It was at Navan last year but it has been moved to Dundalk this time (April 4).
"She's a grand mare and still appears to be improving."
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