DISPATCHES FROM THE SOUTH AND WEST MIDLANDS: 25 AND 26 APRIL

With two of the six weekend meetings being in the West Mercian Area – the Berkeley at Woodford in Gloucestershire on Saturday and the Cheshire Forest at Tabley on Sunday – area participants generally focused on those two fixtures and were involved in all twelve victories across the two cards.

It was Ed Doggrell who took the riding honours on Saturday, notching up his first ever four-timer, three of which – Citizen Jane in the Members, Couer D’Alene in the second Conditions Race, and Kings Affinity in the closing Maiden – were for his boss Chris Barber, enjoying his best ever season with 31 winners to date. Ed himself is now on 28 – by far his best tally. His fourth success was Farfromaway for Francesca Poste in the Intermediate.

Ed Doggrell won on Couer D'Alene (Alun Sedgmore)

Dan Cherriman got off the mark for the season on Rhiannon Lodge’s Galileo Silver – returning to form on the quicker ground – in the first Conditions Race, then immediately followed up in the Mens Open on Hugos New Horse, trained by Nickie Sheppard, who he has only just bought, and who he was riding in a race for the first time.

Dan Cherriman is clear close home on Hugos New Horse (Alun Sedgmore)

Yet again, James King made the headlines at Tabley, riding his fifth treble of the season to go 12 clear in the jockeys title race. Two – Prince In The Park in the Restricted and Spanish Darling in the Maiden – were for Luca Morgan, while the third was Lavorante in the Level 2 Conditions Race, another winner for King trained by Luke Price. The pair had also combined with Galudon at Parham in Kent on Saturday.

Also at Tabley, Heidi Brookshaw’s Buzzard Trix continued his love affair with the course, scoring for the fifth time at the Cheshire venue in the Level 1 Conditions Race for Daniel Williams, the Joe O’Shea-trained and Henry Crow-ridden Gracchus De Balme appreciated the drop in class in a match for the Mixed Open after running in the Cheltenham and Aintree Foxhunters on his last two starts, and Amidnightstar, trained by Tom Britten, took the Level 3 Conditions Race in the hands of Fred Philipson-Stow, for whom it was a second winner of the weekend.

Connections of Buzzard Trix enjoy the presentation

At Leicestershire course Garthorpe on Saturday, Gina Andrews’ quest for a first trainers title was helped by No Risk Des Flos’ win. His rider, Molly Legg, is herself in contention to be leading female novice rider. Will Thirlby had his first winner of the season in with Chiroqui Princess, who he owns, trains and rides, Bradley Gibbs took the opener – the first leg of a double for the trainer-rider – on the Heythrop-qualified I’m Like A Lion, and Fred Philipson-Stow benefitted from spare ride Champagne Glory in the last race.