DISPATCHES FROM THE SOUTH AND WEST MIDLANDS: 22, 24 AND 25 MAY

Five meetings took place over the Spring Bank Holiday, at venues as geographically distant as Ffynnon Druidion, near Fishguard in West Wales, and the two Devon courses – Bratton Down and Upcott Cross. However, the travelling didn’t put off participants from the West Mercian and South Midlands Areas, as they got on the scoresheet at all five fixtures.

Laura Richardson and Huw Edwards got the ball rolling at Ffynnon Druidion on Friday, winning with Peaches and Cream. On the Monday, closer to home at Worcestershire venue Chaddesley Corbett, they took the Restricted with Artic Sting, who was crowned leading Mare, Novice Horse and Family Horse for the West Mercian Area. Edwards then doubled up on another mare, Dazzlelikethis, a first training success for Cai Williams in the Maiden.

Huw Edwards wins on Artic Sting at Chaddesley Corbett (Graham Fisher)

James King has long been assured of both the West Mercian Area leading rider award, and a fifth national jockeys title. He cemented his status with six more wins over the weekend, four of which came at Kingston Blount in Oxfordshire on Sunday. He had a treble for Alan Hill on Normofthenorth (Conditions Race), I K Brunel (Mixed Open) and Gorvitho (Maiden) and won the Restricted on Luke Price’s No Hard Feelings.

James King and Norm of the North score at Kingston Blount (Neale Blackburn) 

King notched up two more wins, taking his total to 65 for the season, for his main backer Luke Price at Chaddesley Corbett, taking the Open on Lavorante and the Mares Maiden Final on Lady Bee Great, while Daisy White capped a fine season – which included two Hunter Chase wins – on Killer Clown in the Ladies Open.

Daisy White leads Killer Clown back after their victory (Graham Fisher)

Down in Devon, runners were thin on the ground at Bratton Down on Sunday, but Aimee Jones managed a win on Emberscombe, and at Upcott Cross on Monday, two more West Mercian participants who have enjoyed a splendid season were on the mark. Chris Barber and Ed Doggrell have combined to great effect this year and teamed up to win with Jewel In The Park, and Doggrell then doubled up with Charlotte Hawker’s Montana Golden. With 40 wins, Barber finished second in the national trainers title and Doggrell was third in the national male rider standings, 36 wins being by far his best total.

Ed Doggrell and Jewel In The Park (Tim Holt)