DISPATCHES FROM THE SOUTH AND WEST MIDLANDS: 24 AND 25 JANUARY

It was another fine weekend for participants from the South Midlands and Sandhurst Areas, with three winners at Horseheath on Saturday followed by a clean sweep at the first South Midlands meeting of the season, at Cocklebarrow on Sunday.

The mare Ask Elli, homebred by Chub Castle, got off the mark for the season at Horseheath in the Restricted, while another to break their duck for this campaign was jockey Charlie Case, who took one of the Maidens at the Cambridgeshire track on his father Ben’s Seek Him There. Trainer-rider Lily Bradstock and Myth Buster won their second race of the season in the closing Conditions event.

Lily Bradstock and Myth Buster (Ray Newby)

Gina Andrews was in out of luck in riding action at Cheltenham on Saturday but returned to winning ways at Cocklebarrow, just 15 miles down the road from the home of steeplechasing, with a treble as both trainer and jockey. Percy De Courcy won the maiden on debut impressively and a date at the sales surely beckons, Entity Of Substanz scored for the third time this season – the first horse to do so – and could be back down the road in May for the Intermediate Final, and Mumbo Jumbo was a facile winner in the Adjacent race. The three-timer took Gina to 14 for the season as both trainer and rider and she is clear at the top of both tables.

A three-timer for Entity Of Substanz and Gina Andrews (Graham Fisher)

Cocklebarrow saw the running of the first classic of the season – the Mens Open for the Lord Ashton of Hyde’s Cup over 3m6f – and it saw a surprise, as Hugh Lillingston on the mare All Loved Up stepped up in both class and distance to overturn odds-on favourite Lavorante.

All Loved up and Hugh Lillingston (pink) come with a strong late run to take the classix (Graham Fisher)

All Loved Up’s trainer Harry Brown is another whose yard is in flying form – with four wins from seven runners – and he doubled up when the odds-on Bass Rock took the concluding Novice Riders race in the hands of Lucas Murphy. The 16-year-old was riding his third winner from just five mounts and must be a contender for the national novice title.

The only West Mercian winner this weekend was Cotswold-qualified jockey Tilly Dennis, who won the Ladies Open at Cocklebarrow on her father David's game 14-year-old Innisfree Lad, trained in South Midlands territory at Edgcote. It was a fine front-running performance from the 17-year-old, riding her second career winner.

Read Russell Smith's full review of the Heythrop meeting at Cocklebarrow here