NEVADA Gold, partnered by 46-year-old Ray Rogers, was the toast of the rearranged Croome and West Warwickshire Hunt point-to-point meeting at Upton-on-Severn as the partnership won the Novice Riders Mixed Open, writes Graham Saveker.

Rogers had his mount at the head of affairs from the start and, once the challenge of Poucher had been seen off, it was left to Nevada Gold and Military Man to fight out the finish with Nevada Gold winning by two lengths.

Rogers, based at Bromyard, was scoring for the second time of his career with the previous win coming from the same stable of Annie Downes, based at Westhide, near Hereford.

The Janet Hughes-trained and Julian Pritchard-ridden Rocket Radar was made odds-on favourite to take the Confined race and looked like confirming that support when leading at lead at the second-last fence.

But the ex-Irish Do It Once, ridden by Michael Keel, challenged on the run-in to take the honours.

Kingsland-based trainer Richard Mathias kept up his recent run of good form when Eveies Boy, owned in partnership with his old friend, Geoff Williams, took the final division of the Maiden race in the hands of Gary Hanmer by an easy seven lengths.

The opening Hunt race went to odds-on favourite Fintona Boy, ridden by the in-form Richard Burton, who followed up their win at the Radnor's meeting by scoring by a distance. Fintona Boy could now be sent Hunter chasing by handler Caroline Chadney.

RESULTS

Hunt: 1 Fintona Boy (R Burton) 1/ 4, 2 Brother Prim 8/1, 3 La Mon Dere 6/1. 6 ran.

Restricted: 1 Wise Prince (L Stephens) 2/ 1, 2 Coddington Girl 10/1, 3 Claymore Girl 10/1. 11 ran.

Intermediate: 1 Viking Flame (S Bush) 14/1, 2 Star Changes 5/4, 3 Maggies Brother 2/ 1. 6 ran.

Mixed Open (novice riders): 1 Nevada Gold (R Rogers) 3/1, 2 Military Man 6/4, 3 Golden Savannah 4/1. 7 ran.

Confined: 1 Do It Once (M Keel) 2/ 1, 2 Rocket Radar 4/7, 3 Kingsthorpe 10/1. 7 ran.

Maiden (8yo +): 1 Musical Hit (C Wadland) 5/2, 2 Take A Chance on Me 5/1, 3 Lily Lane 3/1. 7 ran.

Maiden (5,6,7yo) Div 1: 1 Sacrifice (G Barfoot-Saunt) 6/1, 2 Cider Man 2/ 1, 3 Thors Phantom 7/2/ 10 ran.

Maiden (5,6,7yo) Div 2: 1 Eveies Boy (G Hanmer) 5/2, 2 One Mans Legacy 4/1, 3 Sallioko 8/1. 9 ran.