Not only did Gina Andrews notch a career defining 400th pointing victory aboard Master Templar in the saddle at Chaddesley Corbett's ever popular Christmas/New Year meeting on Sunday, but she also dominated proceedings by rattling off a quick-fire riding treble as well as training a remarkable four-timer.

Panjandrum kickstarted the winning jamboree for Andrews sporting her trainer's cap while I'm Spellbound, the aforementioned Master Templar and Mumbo Jumbo completed quintessential quartet for the former ladies champion rider

 

Speaking after the dust had settled on the momentous day, Andrews said: "I have been very lucky down the years as I had the best possible start with support from my mother and father and now my husband Tom (Ellis) and myself have a really fantastic set-up at our yard in Warwickshire. I have got some lovely to horses to train and ride and I hope there are plenty more winners to come especially as a trainer and a jockey - I have no intentions of hanging up my boots anytime soon as you are a long time retired."

 

And Andrews confided that she is up for the fight to regain her champion riders' crown which she was forced to relinquish to Izzie Hill last term after the pair had fought tooth and nail for winners over the last months of the season.

 

She said: "There's no point in denying it - it pained me greatly losing out on the ladies title to Izzie as I became very frustrated when things did not work out as I rode so many seconds. In the heat of it all I nearly lost a friend in Izzie over the whole thing but we are fine now. However, I am hopeful things will pan out better from my point of view this time around and it would be great to end the season with another championship in the bag."

 

Andrews conceded that she has called Master Templar a few names in the past but after he showed great tenacity to narrowly get the better of Bardenstown Lad for the Ladies Open, she may have to revise that opinion.

 

She admitted: "I have sometimes been rude about him as he has not always been the easiest horse to ride as he has his own mind about things. But one thing is for sure he is a strong stayer on his day and simply loves soft ground."

 

The easiest Andrews-partnered winner of the afternoon was I'm Spellbound as he powered clear of Rewritetherules in the Conditions contest, showing a neat turn of foot in the very testing conditions to score by an ever increasing eight lengths.

 

Of the winner, she said: "He was very good and I suppose he will have to go hunter chasing at some stage. He has got plenty of toe and jumps really well in the main - so has plenty in his favour going forward."

 

Panjandrum and Mumbo Jumbo topped and tailed the card for Andrews with her brother Jack taking the riding honours on the former while Mumbo Jumbo proved the answer to the concluding Maiden as he shrugged off the attentions of Ideal Du Tabert.

 

Andrews said of the pair: "Panjandrum will likely head to the Cheltenham Sales at the end of January as he is a proper three mile chaser in the making, while Mumbo Jumbo proved pleasing as this was his debut for us and he can only go on from this effort."

 

Last season's Lady Dudley Cup hero Jeux D'Eau, trained by Laura Richardson and partnered by Huw Edwards, made a winning return to action when proving too good for Premier Magic in the Men's Open.

 

Richardson was obviously delighted by the success and said: "He seems very versatile as it was good ground in the Lady Dudley Cup here last Spring and on this occasion he has come good again on conditions much more testing. He really needs a bit of time between races so we will not rush him and the longer term plan will have to be hunter chasing as we think he has enough scope for those types of races."

 

Trainer Jo Priest sponsored the Novice Riders' Conditions race and she went home all smiles when scooping her own pot after sending out Llandinabo Lad to score at the expense of Jet Smart under a good ride from Will Badlan.

 

Priest said: "It really wasn't my intention to win my own prize but that's the way it has panned out. We have had the horse about ten weeks and we were hopeful of a big run as he had done all we had asked of him at home."

 

Important Notice, trained and ridden by Josh Newman, outpointed Barton Snow to lift the Intermediate by two-and-a-half lengths after taking the initiative approaching the penultimate fence. Winning joint owner Tom Dalley revealed that the six-year-old had a wind operation over the summer months and his fingers were crossed he would be good enough to take in hunter chases in the second part of the season.

Quote Of The Day - "It's no good speaking to me these days as Gina is the trainer and I'm just the box driver!" - Tom Ellis after his wife Gina (Andrews) had saddled Panjandrum to to land the opener.