James King completed a superb hat-trick of wins in the Howden Lord Ashton of Hyde's Cup Men's Open with victory on Boss Man Fred at the Red Savannah-sponsored Heythrop Hunt Point-to-Point meeting at Cocklebarrow, near Aldsworth, in Gloucestershire on Sunday, writes Russell Smith.

Successful aboard Just Your Type in 2023 and Oscar Montel 12 months ago in the first of the sport's four 'classics', King reigned supreme again as the 11-year-old stripped fitter for a pipe opener at Friars Haugh a week earlier to claim the £1,000 first prize.

Taking up the running from Didero Vallis approaching the fourth-last in the 3m 6f event, Boss Man Fred stayed on powerfully on the rain-softened ground to triumph by 6l from Daniel Williams's mount with Beyond Redemption and Rupert Wilks 30 lengths back in third. Favourite Shoal Bay was fourth.

The three-time champion rider's two previous wins had been for Max Comley, now in the professional ranks, and the Naunton handler was among those celebrating with his partner, Elen Wylie, having taken over the pointing licence.

King said: "It's the third time, which is absolutely brilliant. Elen had him spot-on for today. The visor has revived him because he never really travelled but just kept going."

Wylie trains Boss Man Fred for the Cotswold Stars Partnership, which consists of her father, Andrew, Louis Gill, Rachel Surman, Angela Applegate and Michelle Henley.

The winning handler said: "He needed the run last week to get fit. We needed the rain to come and that came. The stars aligned for him. It is our third classic in a row. I ride him every day and he is extra special."

Driving rain and a fierce wind produced grim conditions as 44 runners faced the starter, but there was still a good-sized crowd in the massive picnic tent, including former Prime Minister David Cameron, his wife, Samantha, and TV presenter Alexander Armstrong.

King and Wylie were completing a double after Jullou De Grissay ran out an impressive 25-lengths winner of the SE Solicitors Restricted.

Having opened his account in a tight finish at Horseheath, the six-year-old's success for owners Helen Mobley and Katie Sunderland was never in doubt as he bounded clear from the fourth-last to coast home from Get Bye and Amber Jackson-Fennell, runners-up for the second successive year.

King commented: "In the week I was hopeful of a performance like that, but I was a bit sceptical about the ground. He is a horse that could provide plenty of fun for connections."

Harvey Barfoot-Saunt was relieved after opening his account at the 38th attempt with victory on Chilinlikeavillian in the Dubarry PPORA Club Members Conditions Race (Level 2), for Novice Riders.

Barfoot-Saunt, 17, produced the Mickey Bowen-owned and trained eight-year-old with a well-timed challenge to collar last year's winner, The Composeur, and Aimee Jones at the final fence before going on to score by three-quarters of a length.

"It's relief more than anything," said the winning rider, who hails from Wootton-under-Edge, near Dursley. "I have had quite a few rides, but it's brilliant to get the first one out of the way. Hopefully, I can get quite a few more now."

Barfoot-Saunt, who works for the owner-trainer's father, Peter, in Pembrokeshire, continued: "Mickey got him at the end of the summer from Dan Skelton for me to ride. I dropped him out at the back and picked them off one by one."

Owner-trainer-rider Madeline Plumb revealed she had considered retiring before recording her first winner on Laurel Girl at the 18th attempt in the King's Head Seven Years Old and Over Maiden.

With the going heavy in places by the last, the nine-year-old galloped home by 15 lengths from the Hutsbys' I Don't Know, runner-up in the younger horse maiden here 12 months ago.

Plumb, 22, who trains her mare out of Danni O'Neill's Fawley House Stud Stables, near Wantage, and works for Olive Nicholls, said: "It is just amazing. It is funny before I went out, I sat here talking to my partner (Liam Spencer) and said I am going to retire. If it wasn't for my dad, Darren, I wouldn't be doing it. He is my biggest supporter."

Laurel Girl had been pulled up at Horseheath last month, and Plumb added: "This is her second run back after two years off because she had done a leg. This horse was bought on a night out. I was looking on Facebook and had had a bit too much to drink, and messaged Louise Allan and bought her."

Kelly Morgan produced a fine training performance as Shentri made a winning comeback from a life-threatening injury to take the Fleming Architects Ladies Open in good style under Ellie Callwood.

After 1-5 favourite Ihandaya pulled up before the fifth last, Callwood sent the KM Racing Club-owned eight-year-old past her only other rival, Previous Bounty, approaching the fourth last and the gelding powered away to beat Marina Bealby's mount by 15 lengths.

With Waltham on the Wolds handler Morgan at Alnwick, the winning rider explained: "He had an awful accident in the stable in April last year when he got cast with his near hind stuck through the V-bars.

"He had basically severed through the nerves and the ligament and gone right to the bone. If it had got infected, he would not have been here today. It took months to heal."

Callwood, who was recording her second winner since returning to the saddle after breaking her right leg in a fall at home last October, added: "He is a tough cookie. His jumping won it for him. He is almost too brave."  

The stewards enquired into the running and riding of Ihandaya, accepting rider Natalie Parker's explanation that the seven-year-old was never travelling and that was why she pulled up.

Drop Him In, runner-up in the Lord Ashton of Hyde's Cup last year, gained a deserved first success for Warwickshire trainer Fred Hutsby and his jockey-son, Tom, in the opening Knight Frank Heythrop Hunt Members, Subscribers and Farmers Race.

With the meeting starting on Good ground, the Marcine Marshall-owned nine-year-old, coasted home by 19 lengths after Tom took up the running from Sforza Castle and Samuel Scott approaching the last fence as only two of the three runners completed.

Drop Him In, second in five of his six previous starts between the flags, was among six horses Hutsby bought from Olly Murphy, and the Walton handler added: "We have run them, and they have all done very well. They were very cheap horses. He likes better ground, and we might run him in a hunter chase, but we are not rushing him."

Tom, who has set his sights on the champion novice rider title, added: "My horse is a stayer, and it has worked out well. He has been knocking on the door and now he has done it."

Shropshire trainer Tom Britten was delighted to see Irish import Mount Anglesby make a winning debut between the flags in the Kitebrook Four, Five and Six Year Olds Maiden.

Bought by owners Mark and Lavinia Edwards privately, the six-year-old came right away up the straight under Toby McCain-Mitchell to take the 2m 4f contest by 20 lengths from Whatchagotder and Dom Lewis.

Britten, based at Billingsley, near Bridgnorth, and assistant to Alastair Ralph, said: "He was placed in a few hurdles for Richard O'Brien and looked one to go pointing.

"When he raced in Ireland he just needed to settle. We have put a tongue tie on, and he has travelled within himself. We hope to get him qualified for the Restricted Final at Stratford."

The meeting was preceded by two pony races, sponsored by Rockcliffe Stud supporting Racing Welfare. Chloe Fox Pit, 12, swept through on Avalon Dancer to take the 138cm and Under contest, before Harry Longsdon, 12, gave Tiny Dancer a good ride to claim the 148cm and Under race.

The doyenne of the South Midlands racing scene is surely Henrietta Knight, whose exit from the training ranks in 2014 to look after ailing husband Terry Biddlecombe, was much regretted by those that admired her straight-talking no-nonsense style. 

They say time away re-ignites the appetite, and this adage would seem to be a truism for the grand old dame of West Hendred, who re-entered the training lists last autumn without much fanfare. 

There is little Henrietta can learn about horse management that has not surfaced before now. That she knows the game backwards is evident, but building up a set of owners is the most demanding element of the training mix. The redoubtable trainer of three time Gold Cup winner Best Mate and others that shone the spotlight of fame her way is finding her way back into the big time with a group of young horses.

Stable flagbearer Motazzen is a modestly rated handicap hurdler, but he has been running hot these past 4 weeks, and his trainer eschewed a visit to racing's HQ on New Year's Day in preference to Southwell where he won his third race in the space of 3 weeks. "It feels fantastic. This is a proper game – I love Fontwell,"she had remarked to the Racing Post after the same horse broke her Jumps duck on December 10 at the unique Sussex course. At 78, she still has a great appetite for the game.

Assistant trainer Brendan Powell, another with little to learn about training and riding, was on hand at Cheltenham to see Lilly Pinchin ride an excellent race to take the listed Junior Bumper and set up a tilt at graded company in March or April.

Good to see you back Hen!

The 65th running of the Stratford Foxhunter, sponsored by Pertemps Network, produced a result worthy of the point-to-point community it supports, when What A Glance produced a good turn of foot at the last to win for Shropshire owner Ann Taylor and her grandson Tom Britten, who trains the nine year old. Ridden by Murray Dodds, a second winner in as many days for him, the gelding was produced between horses at the last, having been handy throughout.

The three circuits of Stratford gave plenty of opportunity for jumping errors, but this experienced field included winners of some of the sport's best known hunters' events, including Premier Magic, winner of the 2023 Cheltenham Foxhunter, and Law of Gold, winner of this event in 2021, and runner-up to stablemate Vaucelet the following year. The Mullins - trained Annamix was well fancied, not least as stablemate Onlyamatteroftime had won in a hack canter at Warwick 24 hours earlier.

Five out, Dale Peters made the best of his way home, sending Law of Gold into a 2l advantage over favourite Fairly Famous, with the winner and Lift Me Up close behind. Go On Chez blundered at the third last but recovered to rejoin the back of the main group at the turn, the rest spent.

What A Glance and Murray Dodd jump the last fence to win the Pertemps Network Stratford Foxhunters' Champion Hunters' Chase at Stratford. 31/5/2024 Pic Steve Davies

Britten will look forward to Cheltenham 2025 after benchmarking his horse against Premier Magic and Annamix.

Thirty minutes earlier, it had been the moment for one of Pointing's staunchest supporters, Diana Williams, to step forward and receive the John Corbett Cup for the success of previous course winner Forest Chimes in the pointtopoint.co.uk Novices Champion Hunters Chase. Recent Cheltenham winner Iskander Pecos was sent off favourite, but found Stratford's bends and faster ground a bit too sharp. Forest Chimes, under Darren Andrews, was able to take up the lead at the last in the back straight, and always had enough in hand to keep Iskander Pecos at bay. Philip Rowley has a notable record in the hunter chase division.

Forest Chimes and Darren Andrews jump the last to win the point-to-point.co.uk Champion Novices' Hunters' Chase at Stratford. 31/5/2024 Pic Steve Davies

Only 5 went to post for the Ladies Open Hunters' Final, in what looked a face-off between 2023 Aintree Foxhunter winner Famous Clermont and young pretender Imperial Esprit, recent winner at Edgcote. Famous Clermont has stuck to point-to-points until this race this season, but evidently lost none of his zest for racing. Taking a keen hold, he was prominent from flagfall, taking it up at the 6th of the 17 fences., and he always had the measure of the younger Imperial Esprit. It would be doing newly crowned lady point-to-point champion rider Izzie Marshall a disservice to say she was run away with, but it turned into something of an armchair ride, albeit rather an active armchair!

Famous Clermont and Izzie Marshall win the Stratford Ladies Open Championship Hunters' Chase Final at Stratford. 31/5/2024 Pic Steve Davies

Marshall had already visited the winner's enclosure to start the evening in the Jumping For Fun Restricted Hunters event on Alan Hill's Learntalot, although it required the judge to decide the winner in a blistering finish involving Well P and the fast-finishing Padjoes Legacy. It transpired Learnalot had held on by a head, Well P a further 3/4l behind in third. Another stride would have produced a different result.

Peter Wright has been a force for good in leading the sport's amateur division over the past 6 years, including the small matter of a pandemic and the wettest winter on record. His achievement ws recorded in the Peter Wright Over & Out Hunters Chase, the only handicap in the sport. David Kemp is always a force to be reckoned with at this fixture, and his Rebel Dawn Rising was sent off 100/30 favourite but came off a length worse to Envious Editor, whose last visit here had been a remote 5th in the Ladies Final in '23. His outings have been sparse this winter, limited to a single winning run at Hexham, but that freshness showed in a race where he picked off the favourite at the last and made every pound of the 12lb he was receiving count. The 1l distance at the line was comfortable enough for young rider Henry Crow and his mother Caroline, and he should continue to visit the winner's enclosure at this level for a year or two yet.

Shortest race of the evening, the White Swan Hotel Stratford Hunters over 2m, saw Fier Jaguen bounce out of the gate to make the running for Freddie Mitchell, substituting for the suspended Bradley Gibbs, surviving a dramatic blunder at the water. Four out, no more than 4l would have covered all bar one of the runners, as they all lined up to take on the leader.

Last year's winner Kaproyale looked to have it all to do as they straightened up, Mix of Clover, Missed Tee and Cat Tiger having stolen a length or two. Charlie Case drove Kaproyale between horses to win in another judge-confirmed finish, over Cat Tiger and Mix of Clover, with distance of a nose and a neck. Phew.