DISPATCHES FROM THE SOUTH AND WEST MIDLANDS: 28 FEBRUARY AND 1 MARCH

South Midlands and West Mercian participants again had a successful weekend, with involvement in 15 wins at the meetings at Kingston Blount on Saturday and Ampton and Larkhill on Sunday.

Half of those victories were achieved by perennial female champion jockey Gina Andrews, who rode trebles at the Oxfordshire track on Saturday and in Suffolk the day after. She also trained all three Kingston Blount winners – Cheytac in the Conditions Race, Entity of Substanz in the 0-110 Series Race and Master Templar in the four-mile Mixed Open – as well as Call Me Early in the Intermediate at Ampton.

Entity of Substanz - joint-leading horse this season (Neale Blackburn)

Gina has now ridden 20 winners this season (and trained 18) and looks to have an unassailable lead in the national riders’ championship, which she is bidding to win for a 12^th time. As for Entity Of Substanz, he is now joint-leading horse this season with four wins.

Joining him on four wins at the weekend was the legend that is Grace A Vous Enki, again scoring unchallenged at Larkhill and taking his record at the Wiltshire venue to an incredible 11 from 11. Trained by Chris Barber and ridden as always by James King, both keeper and jockey had enjoyed success separately the day before – James teamed up with Alan Hill to take the Restricted at Kingston Blount on The Dancing Tree, while Chris won the Young Horse Maiden there with Hang Out, a first winner as an owner for popular commentator Robbie Scott. Hang Out was ridden by Ed Doggrell, who later completed a double on Francesca Poste’s Farfromaway in the Conditions Maiden.

Grace A Vous Enki and connections - 11 from 11 at Larkhill (Tim Holt)

Back at Larkhill on Sunday, the Tom Lacey – Sean O’Connor team continued to farm the Maidens with their four-year-olds, following up a double at the last meeting with wins from Seven Kites (Open Maiden) and Madam To You (Mares Maiden). Tom’s assistant Eamonn O’Donnabhain had earlier taken the Conditions Race with Highstakesplayer.

Tom Lacey and Sean O'Connor teamed up again successfully (Carl Evans)

Concluding Sunday’s action, both divisions of the Flat Race went to South Midlands trainers – Lunar Trix took the first division for Michael Kehoe with Charlie Case on board, while Myles Osborne’s Island Jetaway won division two.