Outstanding day for Crawley and Horsham Point to Point at Parham

The event was spectacularly successful, despite relatively small fields caused by the fast ground.

The new anti-clockwise course was popular both with the crowds, who had good views of the uphill finish, and with riders who generally believed it was a vast improvement on the old track with its downhill start and finish.

Point to point chairman Jamie Hawksfield said: "A lot of hard work has gone into preparing the new course. We may fine tune the layout of facilities in future, bringing the paddock nearer to the car park, with the funfair on the other side of it. But I am delighted the day has been such an outstanding success and that jockeys like the new course."

Two exciting pony races on the flat for young hunt members started off the programme '” an excellent way of introducing some enthisiastic youngsters aged from nine to 15, to racing.

The opening Members Race was won by locally-trained Cape Stormer, now 14 years old, trained at Copsale by Carolyn Gorman and ridden by her husband Marcus.

Cape Stormer was winning his fourth race at Parham and his 19th race in all.

"He is a wonderful horse and was Champion Point to Pointer for several years. He ran as well as ever today."

She added: "I was extremely pleased with my other runner in this race, Sironi, who finished second. It was the first time has had the fast ground he needs and he was very well ridden by Ben Bentley of Storrington."

Another of her horses, The Tailor Carey, also ridden by her husband was beaten by a short head in the Tim Dunlop Memorial Restricted Race, which because of the firm ground only attracted three runners.

The winner was Kommetjie, owned by Simon Tindall and ridden by his trainer Nick Pearce, who trains at Mayfield. The two horses came home along in a tight battle after Alyce Fisher's Double Measure unseated his rider at the final open ditch.

This was the start of a double for Nick Pearce (26), who is in only his second season of training and has shown he is a force to reckon with both with horses he trains and in the saddle.

He was in a dead heat in the following Harwoods Mixed Open Race when his horse Theatre Knight, also owned by Simon Tindall, could not be separated on the line from Elenas River trained by Pam Tetley at Cranleigh.

He had started off the season well with a treble at Detling and said: "I've had 13 runners this season and this was my seventh winner. I'm very lucky to have the support of Mr Tindall. This win has now qualified Theatre Knight for the Foxhunters at Aintree, where he has previously been second and fourth over the fences there."

Pam Tetley had nothing but praise for her jockey Kevin Dixon, who rode an outstanding race on Elenas River to come with a storming run to dead-heat on the line.

"He has been in the King's Regiment in Bosnia for the last eight years, but he is back home and riding for me now. He is an excellent rider and in the past was based with Ginger McCain.

Over the years she has had many fine point-to-pointers, with the likes of Bilbo Baggins, and this was a particularly emotional victory for her because she had nursed Elenas River, now 13, back to fitness following an injury that kept him off the track for a long period.

"I have 16 horses at home but these include my old retired favourites. I had four fit to run this season, but one of them broke a leg earlier this month, and this horse is the only one currently fit," she added.

Jockey Philip York was in winning form on board the Nigel Benstead-trained Lovely Day in the Latilla-Campbell Open Maiden Race. He was pressed for much of the way by Caged Tiger, well-ridden by Bury trainer, Heather Kemp, who had to settle for third place after Middleton Madness, trained by Anna Hawkins ran on into second place. They were the only finishers from six runners.

Six runners set out in the Michael Burrows Memorial Confined Hunts Race when Delgany Gale, trained by Rose Grissell and ridden by Philip Hall proved to be a good winner.

Only three set out in the final race, The South East Hunts Club Members' Conditions Race and two finished, with the race won by Master T, trained by Suzy Bull.

Pony racing. Gatleys Country Store Open riders '” riders aged nine-15. ponies 138cm and under '” 1 Covenham Generation ridden by George Grate; 2 Rocca Showboat ridden by Charlotte Bass; 3 Rio ridden by Izzie Marshall. Gatleys Country Store Novice Riders Race '” 1 Tricky Vicky ridden by Tom Bellamy; 2 Little Quaker ridden by Elliot Pickering; 3 Bob III ridden by Freddie Mitchell.