HEAVY April showers, which included a vicious hail storm for good measure, punctuated the afternoon at Stafford Cross which featured a second double of the weekend for Will Biddick, writes Granville Taylor.

After two successes at Woodford on the previous day, Minella Fifty took the champion jockey to the 30 winner mark for the season when making all to win the Mixed Open at his leisure in the colours of Exmoor based owner/trainer Claire Hitch.

Biddick added to his score in the last race when newcomer The Eaglehaslanded ran away with the 10-runner Open Maiden. This Milan four-year-old is owned and trained by Paul Nicholls who said, “We bought him at the Land Rover (Goffs) sale and he is a half brother to Pepe Simo who won a lot of races for the yard. He has been very backward and is not a bumper sort, so this is the best way of bringing him on. He will be put away now.”

Fresh from receiving his jump trainers’ trophy at Sandown on the previous day, Nicholls watched his 16-year-old daughter, Megan, win the Novice Riders’ event on Join Together. Rose Loxton now handles this ex-Nicholls inmate for owner Wendy Fogg, and the nine-year-old exuded class to defeat Barneys Mate (Philip Miller) and Francis du Mesnil (Lucy Mager) in a good finish. Megan is battling with Katy Lyons for the National Lady Novice Rider title, and bounced back from a nasty fall on Easter Monday to ride her eighth winner of the season here.

Ottery St Mary’s Ed Walker saddled the first two winners on the card in Minutes Later and Level Spirit. Danny Burton was paying his first visit to the track and partnered Minutes Later to win the Hunt race for Ross Willmington, a joint master of the Axe Vale, and Alistair Holder. “This is my first horse and first winner. We bought him at the hunt Christmas auction at Branscombe village hall for a bit of fun,” laughed Ross. Jockey Danny Burton is based with Alan King and was riding his second winner of the campaign.

Robbie Henderson has been chasing Will Biddick hard for the National Men’s title, and Level Spirit became his 22nd winner of the season when just mastering the favourite Notus de la Tour in the Confined. A winner of three of his five races this season for the Otter Club syndicate, nine-year-old Level Spirit was described by his trainer as, “Really tough. It was too tacky for him last time at Upcott Cross.”

Bryony Frost rode her ninth winner of the season when getting Brackenwood, trained by her mother Nikki, home in the Intermediate. David Prichard made a bold bid to steal the race on the mare Roseyroo, but after a neck and neck battle on the long run-in, Brackenwood just got his head in front where it mattered. “Bryony got him into a nice rhythm and he is a genuine horse,” remarked Bryony’s father Jimmy Frost. “He is home bred and was difficult as a youngster and Jamie Thomas did a good job with him when he worked for us,” added Jimmy.

Nikki Frost just missed out on a training double when Donpierre (Ben Robarts) was narrowly denied by Midnight Breeze (Ceiran Gethings) in the Restricted. A lightly raced eight-year-old by Midnight Legend, the winner was bred by his owner Helen Stoneman and is trained by Ollie Bush. “He is the last produce of Fly the Wind and has not been the easiest. He has needed lots of patience and I have nursed him all along,” said the owner. The successful jockey, 19-year-old Ciaran Gethings, shows much promise and is beginning to get rides under rules for his employer Philip Hobbs.