First success for Portman

Rookie trainer John Portman sent out his first jumping success when the enigmatic King of Sparta put his best foot forward to lift the 49's South West Racing Club Novices Handicap Chase at Taunton yesterday.

Chris Maude always had the gelding well positioned before sending him to the front three out and, despite some customary tail swishing from the five-year-old, passed the post with three lengths to spare over Connaught Cracker.

Kim Bailey was the trainer in form as he sent out Prince of India to land the Roberts Maiden Hurdle under Rupert Wakley and doubled up when Vicar's Vase and Richard Forristal collected the South West Racing Club Amateur Riders' Handicap Hurdle.

Formerly handled on the Flat by Lord Huntingdon, Prince of India was given a confident ride on his hurdling debut by Wakley who delivered the sixyear-old with a timely challenge two out before denying Gee Bee Boy by a length and a quarter.

Vicar's Vase had to be rousted along by Forristal off the home turn but responded in the gamest of fashion to better Tony's Mist by three-quarters of a length in a driving finish.

Trainer Henrietta Knight's run of seconditis came to a halt after Wishing William and Jim Culloty defied top weight to stylishly take the Ilminster Handicap Chase by 21 lengths.

"We've had 10 seconds since our last winner so it's nice to get another winner on the board," Knight reflected.

"This horse liked the good ground here much better than he did the soft last time."

Culloty quickly doubled up when the Victor Dartnall-trained Forgotten Hero came from another parish to land the concluding Weatherby's 'Stars of Tomorrow' NH Flat Race.

Simon Sherwood sent out former Irish point-to-pointer The Writer to make a winning debut in England with an ultra determined short-head victory from Ten of Diamonds in the Skylark Novices Hurdle.

Winning owner, Dr Peter Shore, who is a practising GP from Finchley in north London, said: "I had a share in a horse that won as a two-year-old but he was sold on. This is a dream come true as I've been a racing fan all my life."