Jockey under fire Richard Johnson, who starts a 14-day whip ban next week, hit back with a 144 to 1 treble aboard Mithak, Noisy Miner and Picket Piece for his boss David Nicholson at Ludlow yesterday.
Mithak, formerly trained by Lynda Ramsden on the Flat, made it second time lucky over timber when staying on strongly to lift the Clive Pavilion Maiden Hurdle at the expense of Country Kris.
Noisy Miner, successful at the last meeting here, repeated the dose in style when always travelling nicely before taking the Tenbury Handicap Chase by five lengths from Carlingford Gale.
But Johnson needed to be at his brilliant best to force Picket Piece's head in front halfway up the run-in to deny Briggs Turn by half a length in the Butts Novices' Handicap Hurdle.
Not to be outdone, Tony McCoy also notched a double courtesy of victories for Supreme Charm and Dark Stranger which left him just five short of his ton for the season.
Supreme Charm answered all of McCoy's urgings to get the better of Sursum Corda by five lengths in the New Year Novices' Chase.
Dark Stranger, making his seasonal bow and having his first outing for Martin Pipe, made all the running in the January Novices' Handicap Chase to win by five lengths from South West Express.
