Sixeen-year-old Gaby Hill celebrated her first winner aboard Bering Gifts at the Vale of Aylesbury with Garth & South Berks Hunt meeting at Kingston Blount, near Chinnor.
Hill, on her fourth ride between the flags, came out on top in an exciting match on the 14-year-old gelding for her father, Aston Rowant owner-trainer Alan Hill, in a tactical members’ race.
Gaby’s mount turned on the turbo to charge down the hill on the farside, before galloping home by two lengths from last year’s winner, Long Courrier and his veteran rider Tim Underwood, for his eighth course victory.
After returning to the loudest cheers of the day, the Headington School pupil said: “It is amazing – completely undescribeable. It makes up for having to get up at 6.30 in the morning, and it makes everything worthwhile.
“I have been so lucky to have help from James (Tudor) and daddy, who talked me through the tactics.”
Bering Gifts’s victory completed a short-priced treble for Alan Hill following wins by Sir Ronan and More Trouble in the open maiden for four to seven-year-olds and the intermediate respectively.
Tudor notched a double on the pair – with his ten-length victory on Sir Ronan from the only other finisher, Mirage Prince, being his 150th point-to-point success.
The men’s open went to Itsalf and the season’s leading rider, David Mansell, who ran on gamely after blundering at the fourth last to score by ten lengths before returning lame.
Avesomeofthat, another Cotswold Vale raider, ran out a clear-cut winner of the ladies’ open for trainer-rider Hannah Lewis.
Sheknowsyouknow, ridden by Mark Wall, ended a run of four successive seconds with a runaway success in the restricted for Chippenham owner-trainer Mike Hawker, who was making his first visit to the course for 25 years.
And Market Harborough’s Patrick Millington, who had been riding at Kingston since 1977, recorded his first winner at the course in the open maiden aboard Leadbrook Lad, who was left clear by the fall of Angies Castle at the third last.
RESULTS Restricted: 1 SHEKNOWSYOUKNOW (M Wall) 4-6 fav, 2 Sorbiediditmyway 33-1, 3 Apple Days 33-1. Trainer: M Hawker. Dist: Dist, 1l. 7 ran.
Open maiden (4-7yo): 1 SIR RONAN (J Tudor) 4-5 fav, 2 Mirage Prince 5-1. Only two finished. Trainer: A Hill. Dist: 10l. 7 ran.
Ladies’ open: 1 AVESOMEOFTHAT (H Lewis) 2-5 fav, 2 Rustic John 5-2, 3 Teeton Prince 14-1. Trainer: H Lewis. Dist: 12l, 2l. 6 ran.
Men’s open: 1 ITSALF (D Mansell) 7-4, 2 Burntoakboy 5-4 fav, 3 Virginia Preuil 5-2. Trainer: J Houldey. Dist: 10l, 6l. 7 ran.
Intermediate: 1 MORE TROUBLE (J Tudor) 1-2 fav, 2 Jewel Son 3-1, 3 Intaglio 11-1. Trainer: A Hill. Dist: 8l, 5l. 7 ran.
Open maiden: 1 LEADBROOK LAD (P Millington) 7-2, 2 Thenford Lad 10-1, 3 Trenley Lawn 5-2 fav. Trainer: P Millington. Dist: 20l, 1/2l. 9 ran.
Members: 1 BERING GIFTS (G Hill) 5-4, 2 Long Courrier 4-7 fav. Trainer: A Hill. Dist: 2l. 2 ran.
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