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"You like to make it look exciting, don't you?" was Alan Hill's comment to Richard Woollacott after the Devon-based rider had maintained his 100% record at the track by winning the opening Nick Mills Memorial Maiden Hunters' Chase on Mysaynoway, who was bought at Ascot in February by the Hills with a view to running in Selling Hurdles during the summer.

Three from home, the little mare still had 20 lengths to make up and a victory looked extremely unlikely, but once over the next she started to eat up the ground and she hit the front halfway up the run-in to win going away. It was her first run going right-handed for her new yard, but with her propensity to jump and hang left, the experiment may not be repeated.

Richard, whose only previous ride at Folkestone had been on Parte Prima in 2004, was replacing the stable's regular jockey James Tudor, who was suspended, but no sooner had the winner returned to the unsaddling enclosure than Alan's wife Lawney, who trains Mysaynoway, received a text message from James which said "What did you tell him he was on? He rode it like it was Master Minded."

The Hamlet Oak Framed Buildings Novices' Hunters' Chase

Euro Bleu could be off to Stratford following his success in this 3m2f contest under trainer Phil York, 43 the previous day. "He won't be a novice next season so it's our only chance to run in the John Corbet," reasoned Phil, who was sent Euro Bleu by Craig Callaghan and Emma Lucas two months before his seasonal debut in early April.

Euro Bleu, who has had a year off, was formerly trained by Emma, but, said Phil, he got into the habit of bucking. "He did it for fun," he grinned, "because he'd throw someone into the air but make sure he wriggled about underneath them so that he caught them coming down! As soon as he came here and started cantering he settled down, though he still does it occasionally."

Phil himself has recently had a spell on the sidelines after breaking a rib at Tweseldown at the end of last month, and was bemoaning the fact that he was struggling to shed the few pounds he had put on during the time he was out of the saddle.

The Grant's Cherry Brandy South East Novices' Hunters' Chase

"I hit the front far too soon - I'll give myself a bollocking later," said Nick Pearce after a comfortable victory on Say Grace, trained by her rider for owner-breeder Simon Tindall. Say Grace looked in command when her nearest challenger Nessa blundered Tom Cheesman out of the saddle at the penultimate after being hampered on the approach to the fence. The mare, who was tongue-tied for the first time, will now have a summer out.

"She was hanging left on the run-in looking at the loose horse," reported Nick, but the stewards were not impressed that he had given her three cracks with the whip after the last and banned him for one day (May 28).

The Shepherd Neame United Hunts Open Champion Hunters' Chase

Knighton Combe's easy victory in this 3m7f contest gave owner-breeders Ian and Sus Snowden a happier memory to take home than the one they experienced at this meeting three years ago. "We were here to watch Jamie [their son] when we had a call from home to say that Knighton Combe's dam Cindercombe had died foaling, and we lost the foal as well" Ian explained.

This was Knighton Combe's second success of the season, and he has finished runner-up in all his other five outings. "He needs to be ridden prominently because he's not the fastest thing," smiled Ian, whose nine-year-old is trained by John Dufosee, "and he's always done for toe when there's a sprint to the line. But he's always been beaten by good horses - we haven't gone for egg and spoon races with him."

Sus's assertion that "He does try" was endorsed by rider Michael Miller, who added that he never quite knows what to expect. "You don't know till you get to the course which way he's going to hang," he grinned of his mount, who has been tried in a pricker. Michael's only previous winner at the meeting was in 1993, when he partnered Roving Report to land the Grant's Cherry Brandy spoils.

The likely plan is for Knighton Combe to go summer jumping from Jamie Snowden's licensed yard.

Amanda Bush received a two-day ban for hitting Lord Fitzroy, who never got competitive, when out of contention.

The Nigel Collison Fuels Ltd Open Hunters' Chase

Organiz, who has patently failed to last home between the flags, found this 2m trip more to his liking, although Sam Waley-Cohen needed to ride him right out to hold off the faster-finishing Hatsnall.

"There'll be no point in Point-to-Pointing him any more," said Sam's father Robert, who considered that around 2m2f would be Organiz's optimum trip, and will look for short distance Hunter Chases next season. "I'd like to see him jump better too," he added.

Robert has owned Organiz since he was three weeks old, having bought his dam with her foal at foot. The now seven-year-old won over hurdles and fences in France, but has had his problems since coming to race in England. "He had a wind operation last summer, and around Christmas time got an appalling infection in his off hind, which blew up," explained Robert, who was quick to credit his head girl Katie Mawle for her excellent work in getting him right.

Organiz's half-sister, a four-year-old by Alflora named Piece Of Magic, goes to Doncaster Sales at the end of this month.

The edenbridge@nfumutual.co.uk Open Hunters' Chase

The amount of work which trainer-rider Philip Hall admitted to putting in to Highland Chief since his previous outing paid dividends when Pat Wilkins's nine-year-old had the local crowd cheering as he galloped on tenaciously to repel the challenges of Youlbesolucky and Tikram. "I don't look quite as stylish as those young lads behind me [Tom Cannon and Josh Moore]," grinned Philip, although he didn't look too worried about it!

"I'm so pleased for Pat, who's a long-time friend of the family - she and father [Christopher Hall] were in the Pony Club together," said Philip, who also paid tribute to the man responsible for the purchase, bloodstock agent David Smyly. "He's been brilliant for us," he pointed out.

Highland Chief needed several weeks off in mid-season due to some wear and tear on a tendon, but there was no lack of faith in his ability on the part of one member of the Hall family. "I didn't know this, but Pip [Philip's wife] put £25 on him this morning at 11-2 [his starting price was 5-2]," reported her husband. "Now the children can have some clothes!"

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