Gaining Ground and Liam Payter win the open maiden

Man From Highworth bounced back from his disappointing run at the Cheltenham Festival to post a sparkling success at the Old Berks Hunt meeting at Lockinge, near Wantage, on Easter Monday.

The nine-year-old, winner of the Coronation Gold Cup at Larkhill earlier this season, had finished down the field in the Christie's Foxhunter Chase.

But Man From Highworth, trained in the Wiltshire village by Johnny Manners, put that run behind him in no uncertain terms.

Oozing class, he joined Moscow Court at the third last in the men's open before cruising clear on the bridle, under David Bass, to win by a hard-held four lengths from Celia Plunkett's charge.

"That made up for his last race," said Manners. "This is a very high-class horse. At Cheltenham he didn't quite get the trip."

Now he is considering letting Man From Highworth have a crack at the Fox Hunters' Chase at Aintree on Thursday week - a race he has won twice with Cavalero and Killeshin.

Lucy Cowen, from East Garston, rode her first winner for seven years when taking the members' race on East Lawyer, whom she also trains and owns.

Cowen, who is secretary to Chaddleworth National Hunt trainer Charlie Egerton, sent the nine-year-old into the lead approaching the end of the first circuit, and he kept up the gallop to beat last year's winners, Meandmrsjones and Claire Matheson, by eight lengths.

"I can't believe it," said the winning rider, who had spent her time hunting and team-chasing since her only previous success on Denarri at Fakenham in 2001.

"I am completely gobsmacked. It was just so easy. He travelled so well and made just one small error. It was just so brilliant."

There was a sad postcript to the race with Jurist, trained and ridden by Matt Keen, collapsing and dying after finishing fourth.

Gaining Ground, who once finished fifth behind Cheltenham Gold Cup hero Denman in a Wincanton novices' hurdle, took the open maiden under a positive ride from Liam Payter.

Robert Kirk, who crashed his car on his way to Howick on Saturday and then fell with a race at his mercy, enjoyed a welcome change of fortune to take the Point-to-Point Owners And Riders Association Club Members race for novice riders on Earl Of Buckingham.

Bibury's Peter Mason, who was at the Paxford meeting, missed seeing Milesian King give him his first winner as a trainer under brother, Richard, with victory in the restricted race.

The intermediate race, run in a blizzard, went to Vigzol and rider James Derham.

RESULTS Members: 1 EAST LAWYER (L Cowen) 4-5 fav, 2 Meandmrsjones 7-4, 3 Bell Lane Lad 6-1. Trainer: L Cowen (Old Berks). Dist: 8l, 4l. 5 ran.

Intermediate: 1 VIGZOL (J Derham) 2-1, 2 Rustic John 6-4 fav. Only two finished. Trainer: R King (South Dorset). Dist: 1l. 5 ran.

Men's open: 1 MAN FROM HIGHWORTH (D Bass) 1-2 fav, 2 Moscow Court 3-1, 3 Its Alf 9-2. Trainer: J Manners (Vale of White Horse). Dist: 4l, 8l. 4 ran.

PPORA Club Members (Novice Riders): 1 EARL OF BUCKINGHAM (R Kirk) 5-2, 2 Running Times 12-1, 3 Teninarow 7-4 fav. Trainer: C Wilesmith (Ledbury). Dist: Nk, 6l. 7 ran.

Restricted: 1 MILESIAN KING (R Mason) 9-4 fav, 2 Gossip 10-1, 3 Tom Bombing 5-2. Trainer: P Mason (Vale of White Horse). Dist: 6l, 7l. 7 ran.

Open maiden: 1 GAINING GROUND (L Payter) 3-1, 2 Supreme Missile 7-1 3 Dun Shah 12-1. Trainer: S McPherson (Cotswold). Dist: 4l, 25l. 7 ran.

10:47pm Monday 24th March 2008

Print

Email this