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Alan Hill has his string in tremendous form, and he followed up Dante's Storm's Detling success 24 hours earlier by saddling Karen Exall's Mid Div And Creep to win the Ladies' Open under Gina Andrews.

The mare has moved to Alan this season due to the retirement of her previous handler Derek Harding-Jones, and her new trainer would like to run her in a Hunter Chase sooner rather than later. "She needs cut, so it would make sense," he pointed out, adding "She'll make a smashing brood mare later."

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Tom Kindleyside, who joined the Hills a week ago from the Northern Racing College and was leading up Mid Div And Creep, must think racing is easy. This was just his second day's racing, his first having been at Alan's successful raid on Detling!

"He was unfortunate enough to sit next to Lawney when we were celebrating in the pub last night," grinned Alan, implying that Tom's education in the art of having a good time is coming on apace!

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The Men's Open went to the ex-Philip Hobbs Kornati Kid, partnered by Olly Murphy for his parents Aiden Murphy and Anabel King. Aiden is responsible for buying many of the Hobbs horses, in particular those belonging to Graham and Diana Whateley, from whom he purchased Kornati Kid after the son of Kayf Tara had lost his enthusiasm under Rules - "He turned his nose up at the job," was how Anabel described it.

"I couldn't give Olly any orders because I had no idea what would happen," Anabel admitted, but the change of scene has obviously had the desired effect on her charge, who she said "has hunted like a lunatic" and who clearly enjoyed himself in his new role.

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"I've never been this far East," joked Charles Horton, who farms 2000 acres at Cirencester, after his mare Jolly Dancer, trained by former jockey Willie Hayes, had come from the proverbial mile behind to land the Restricted in the hands of son James. "She's slow," was her owner's candid opinion, "and we spent all last season looking for uphill finishes."

"They went so fast that she was off the bridle by the third fence," said James, "so I tagged along behind Burtie [Richard Burton] on the nicer ground away from the inside."

James was in the OTC at university and scored on You Do The Math at Sandown's Grand Military meeting in 2008, but as Charles explained "His records have been lost so he is no longer allowed to participate in military races."

Since then he has spent a year at Tweenhills Stud but for the past six months has been pupil-assistant to Sir Mark Prescott, for whom he has, to date, broken in nearly 30 yearlings.

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Owners, trainers and riders, many of whom were newcomers to Ampton, had nothing but praise for the track and its condition. At one time the racing surface attracted plenty of criticism, but it has been transformed in recent seasons by the hard work of Clerk of the Course Simon Stearn and his team, to whom great credit is due.

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It was therefore apt that the opening Conditions race, for ten-year-olds and over, should have been won by Simon's son Rupert aboard Ballygalley Bob, a first success, with only her second runner, for trainer Caroline Fryer, who owns him with David Taylor.

A winner of four Chases for Oliver Sherwood, Ballygalley Bob was singled out by Caroline when she saw him run at Fakenham. "I knew this was the horse I wanted to go Pointing," she smiled, and her chance to purchase him came when he was sent to Doncaster Sales in May last year. "He ran off this week with Jaz [Yeoman, who helps out] so we knew he was well," she added.

David, for whom Ballygalley Bob was a first runner, is hoping that when the ten-year-old retires he will be able to take him hunting.

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David and Caroline met when both worked for Allied Grain some years ago, but David is now with Baileys Horse Feeds and was representing the company at Ampton, where they sponsored the Maiden race. His day, though, did not consist merely of giving and receiving trophies, as he was working throughout the meeting on the number board.

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Sue Wilson was unwell so was unable to be present to see her Divine Intavention take the Intermediate and bring up a career century for rider Mark Wall (see Landmark). "I'm lucky to have got the ride on such a lovely horse," said Mark, whose ability to get his mount to settle earned plenty of praise from Sue's husband Guy. "He did the fastest circuit ever at Towcester last year," laughed Guy, "but he's more biddable now, thanks to Mark."

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Another trainer whose yard has started the season firing on all cylinders is David Phelan, who teamed up with jockey Tom Cannon to win Division One of the split-on-the-day Maiden with Vote For Doodle. Unplaced under Rules for Michael Hourigan, Vote For Doodle is now owned by David's wife Vicki, so naturally is for sale!

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Perhaps the most relieved man on the course was Sam Davies-Thomas, who would have had the leg-up on Parson's Mount in this race had it not been divided and Johnny Bailey been unable to take the ride. The debutant seven-year-old's remarkable performance started on the flat after the 11th, where he was galloping in midfield when he suddenly stopped dead, whipped round, and dropped his partner. Johnny remounted to canter back, and was unseated twice more for his trouble before reaching the box park, so it was a very disgruntled jockey who went out to ride in Division Two.

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Happily for Johnny, he enjoyed a somewhat smoother passage, landing the spoils on Philip Perkins's Up And Away, trained by the rider's father Gerald. Up And Away came originally from event rider Vere Phillips, and needed plenty of work on his jumping to help him to adapt to a racing technique, explained his owner.

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"This will do for the old man's Christmas present." Johnny Bailey's first thought on being presented with his rider's prize, a hamper containing some alcoholic content, including a bottle of whisky, one of the first to be produced from the English Whisky Company's Thetford Distillery.

"He can do without his present." Johnny again, on being told that the whisky could become a collector's item.

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Despite losing a front shoe, Joan Tice's home-bred Teeton Dazzler, trained by Jenny Garley, ran on stoutly to land the Novice Riders' contest under Lizzie Harris, who earlier in the month had been confined to bed for a week with a bad bout of flu. Although he is laid-back at home, "Dazzler" had shown his well-being by kicking and bucking in the lorry from the time he arrived at the course.

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