Poor turnout of horses

Despite intensive watering few owners were prepared to run their horses on the firm ground.

The fourth race, the Ladies Open, was a 'walkover' with only one horse declared while the five other races attracted just 17 horses.

It was setback for organisers the East Sussex and Romney Marsh Hunt who had worked hard to get the course at Buckholt Farm in Watermill Lane fit for the annual event.

Their efforts were rewarded with an estimated turnout of 3,000 on an unusually sweltering afternoon - temperatures soaring into the mid 20s.

It was as well that the large crowd had picnics, trade stalls and refreshment tents to keep them amused.

The afternoon had started well enough with competitive pony races and then a six-horse turn out for the Members, Subscribers and Farmers race - four supplied by the Grissell stable from Brightling.

Glory Trail, one of the quartet, started favourite but fell, leaving stablemates Kingsun and Inis Eile to fight out the finish.

It was Kingsun who prevailed - giving Charlotte Grissell victory in her first ever point-to-point ride.

One of the top riders in the south Philip York guided Peppershot to a comfortable victory in the three-horse Restricted while Cape Stormer justified favouritism in the Mens Open which was also contested by just three.

In the Confined York's hopes of an afternoon double were dashed when a determined Phillip Hall encouraged Little Worsall to fight back after being overtaken by favourite Montannel three fences from home.

They went over the second last neck and neck and Little Worsall was just beginning to get the upper hand when Montannel unshipped York shortly after the last.

The final event on the card, the Open Maiden, was just a two-horse affair with the hotly-fancied Frozen Assets pulling up to allow Billie Bay to take the honours.