With 40 runners in seven races, the Bicester with Whaddon Chase point-to-point at Edgcote on Sunday 3rd April had the highest turnout of the weekend's eight fixtures and racegoers were treated to some fine performances, with a Cheltenham disappointment returning to form, a popular veteran landing the spoils and the racecourse debut of a potential future star.

The feature race, the Equine Bio Genie Edgcote Gold Cup Mixed Open Race over three miles and five furlongs, saw four go to post and was won by Bradley Gibbs on Premier Magic, who was pulled up in the Cheltenham Foxhunters last time out. Held-up early, the nine-year-old made smooth progress through the field on the final circuit, led six out and scored comfortably by three lengths from early leader Vivaldi Collonges. Outsider Ange Des Malberaux was four lengths third ahead of the winner's market rival Kalabaloo, for whom the ground was too firm.

"His run at Cheltenham frightened him," said Bradley afterwards. "He normally jumps off and travels well but it took me a circuit and a half to get going today. He would have been more impressive if he hadn't run at the Festival and he was just better than the others here."

Bradley's partner Claire Sherriff told me, "We thought he'd be in the frame at Cheltenham but he barely went a circuit. We then took him schooling at Maisemore Park last week to teach some youngsters and he nearly stopped at the first - he hated Cheltenham that much. His jumping doesn't normally miss a beat but it wasn't perfect today, so it was nice to see him keep going. We might go for the four-miler at the evening Hunter Chase meeting - he'll stay all day - but will it scare him again? He's a good pointer, and this might be his game." Claire, who is expecting the couple's first child in July - "It's a boy and we don't have a name yet, but we might call him Magic after today!" - confirmed that their other stable star Highway Jewel won't run again this season but will be back next year.

Bradley completed a double - after a crunching fall on his first ride of the day - in the two miles five furlongs Bicester Motion Restricted. Just three faced the starter here and The Jolly Pot attempted to make all, as he had done when winning last time, but Bradley on Dawnie Boy tracked him throughout the final circuit and took the lead three out. He was joined by favourite By Appointmentonly, going better, at the penultimate fence (where The Jolly Pot fell when beaten) but the challenger made a mistake, giving the lead back and - though By Appointmentonly rallied up the run-in - Dawnie Boy held on to score by a rapidly-decreasing neck.

Claire explained why the progressive eight-year-old had been off the track so long between scoring at Barbury in December 2020 and reappearing at Larkhill in February. "He had a small operation to remove a floating bone in his knee, then fractured another bone, was out for the season and we couldn't rush him back. He wants softer ground," she continued, "And that's probably it for the season now, but you never know. We'll see the best of him next year over three miles on soft ground."

It was Bradley's 23rd winning ride of the season and he has trained 18. "I couldn't be happier with the way things are going," he admitted. "Dawnie Boy wants every yard of three miles, but we came here because we knew the ground would be nice and it's a stiff track. I didn't realise how close the second horse was two out but, once I heard him, I got him going again!" 

Also in double form were Francesca and Charlie Poste's Station Yard Racing, whose brace was sealed when 13-year-old Summer Sounds, number 13 on the card and achieving his 13th pointing success (lucky for some!) won the eight-runner Vindis Bentley Novice Riders Race. Given a great front-running ride by Amber Jackson-Fennell, he was headed at the last by Skipthecuddles and looked booked for second but didn't give up and forced his head in front again just before the line and was given the verdict by a neck. Craigmor, always prominent but never looking likely to land a blow, was eight lengths third.

"He's such an incredible horse," said joint-owner Jenny Jackson-Stops, whose son James won four on the horse before he retired. "We weren't expecting much when we got him, and we were lucky to find out how he needs to race - he has to front-run. It's the first time Amber's ridden him - I was told she was a tenacious jockey, and the pair didn't want to be beaten, did they?" Fellow owner Graham Fisher added, "He needed the run at Shelfield Park a fortnight ago - it was his first outing since Cheltenham last year - and I was surprised today didn't come too quickly for him. He looked like he's still enjoying himself, he loves ground on the fast side of good, and he'll probably have two or three more runs this season."

Winning jockey Amber was scoring for the third time in points - all this season - and the fourth overall. "I joined Francesca and Charlie in December," she confirmed, "And they've given me opportunities, so it's been a good decision to focus on pointing. I'm lucky to be in their yard and I've also got four horses at home." Talking through the race, she said, "It sounded like there would be a lot of pace on, but I knew he'd keep galloping, so I kept him in his comfort zone. He stays and gallops and the track suits and he was getting tired when headed at the last but fought back gamely." As for her own plans for the rest of the season, "To keep fit and well and to keep getting in the frame. If I ride another winner, I need to decide whether to keep going or stay as a novice for next year."

Francesca and Charlie had earlier won the opening race on the card, the Gade Homes Tim Price Memorial Hunt Members Race, with the progressive Kaproyale. Four of the seven entries took part and the long odds-on favourite, in the hands of champion jockey James King, scored by an easy four lengths having been held up in last as Accord set the early pace. However, when James pressed the button, the response was immediate, and he never looked in danger after taking the lead three out. Long-time leader Accord kept going to dead-heat for second with Earlshill.

Kaproyale is owned by a partnership of Denise Reynolds - whose husband Nick is a former Master of the Bicester with Whaddon Chase - ex-rider Katie Sunderland (many readers will remember the likes of Maid To Match and Sperrin View) and Francesca's father Chris Nimmo and Denise told me afterwards, "He's my first pointer. He came from Olly Murphy, who's a great friend of Charlie's, and he wanted the horse to go to friends. He's won five times from six races and we're lucky to have James riding." Katie added, "Having to watch the horse running is so much more nerve-wracking than riding! I ride him at home every day - he's my baby - and I've always wanted to win our Members race." Plans could include the end of season Maiden Hunter Chase at Cartmel, which Chris has won twice before, once allegedly landing a massive gamble in the process!

"I could have done with them going quicker early on," admitted James, moving on to 26 for the season. However, he wouldn't be drawn on the chances of retaining his title, saying only, "It's too early to say if I can catch Will Biddick, but this time last year, I hadn't yet ridden a winner."

Gina Andrews continues her relentless pursuit of a record ninth lady riders title and she won two of the three Maiden races on the card. Although only three ran in the four-year-old only Thoroughbred Breeders' Association Early NH Racing Initiative Maiden Race, they represented some of the leading stables in the country and all look to have the potential to do well under rules. It was one by No Questions Asked who - apart from a mistake five out - jumped more fluently than his two rivals. Disputing the lead throughout with As Known As, who had been backed into favouritism, No Questions Asked took advantage of his market rival's novicey jumping and was unchallenged to score by eight lengths. The third runner, Mugs Of Champagne, also made mistakes and came down at the last when second.

"He's a proper horse," beamed winning trainer Tom Ellis, who runs G & T Racing with his wife Gina. "His work's been good at home and he's always shown he has talent. He jumped green and the slow pace played into our hands. As I've always said, it's hard to run young horses against experienced ones, as they can go well at home but be clueless on the racecourse. He's up there with the best of our four-year-olds," continued Tom of No Questions Asked, "And definitely in the A-team. Hopefully we can send him to the Aintree Sales later this week." The trainer was moving on to 46 for the season, five short of Jack Barber's record of 51, but refused to countenance beating that total, telling me, "Go for the record? Let's worry about that another day." 

"He was quite green and having a good look around, but was always travelling strongly," said Gina. "I knew we were going well after the first circuit."

Gina's second victor came on Magnetic Zero in the Spratt Endicott Maiden Race for five-year-olds and upwards, in which eight ran. A welcome success for a smaller yard on a day dominated by the big guns, she was continuing her successful association with Nigel Padfield. The five-year-old had finished a close second on his British pointing debut and was favourite to go one better. Always prominent, he led going out on the final circuit and - despite being headed by the well-back All The Ammunition two out - led again at the last and won by three-quarters of a length. Equus Flight, rear early, ran on for two-and-three-quarter lengths third.

Nigel, who trains four horses at Abridge in Essex - and is the only trainer I know of within the M25 - was enjoying his second success of the season and told me of Magnetic Zero, "David Phelan found him for me - he was trained by Sam Curling in Ireland - and he ran very well at Guilsborough, where he was just nudged out, and this track suited him better. "We'll try to win a Restricted, then put him away, but he won't run on anything firmer than good." 

Ten - the biggest field of the day - lined up for the Jockey Club Mares Maiden, sponsored by Savills and it went the way of Scorpion Lady, trained by Alan Hill and ridden by Harry Myddleton for his father Guy. Four-year-old newcomer Sweet Talking was made favourite but ran green and pulled up three out and the race looked likely to go the way of the fancied Imperial Pride when she quickened clear five out. However, Scorpion Lady always had the leader in her sights, jumped to the front at the second last and came home by five lengths, with Queen Kalamba making late progress for six lengths third.

Winning owner Guy Myddleton, based on the Cheshire/Wales border, explained why his horses are with Alan Hill in Oxfordshire this year. "We used to have them with Oliver Greenall but Harry's at Oxford Brookes University so we sent them to Alan so he can ride out there. We bought Scorpion Lady from Ireland - she wasn't very expensive - with another Maiden to give Harry more experience. She ran well at Kingston Blount, surprising us, and the quick ground here suited us." The trainer's wife Lawney added of the winning rider, "Harry's improved. He's a good horseman, has a natural eye for a stride and he listens!"

It was a tenth career success - and third this season - for Harry, who said of Scorpion Lady, "She carried on going whenever I asked her. I thought I'd have to go round the outside, but she outjumped the favourite, so I didn't. She enjoyed the ground and enjoyed jumping." The 21-year-old has no plans to turn professional, telling me, "I want to be a very good amateur and ride as many winners as I can. I'd love to compete in the Aintree or Cheltenham Foxhunters and a winner in one of those would probably make me hang up my boots. I've had three rides over jumps under rules and used to ride on the flat when I was younger…and lighter!"