ALAN Hill praised Izzie Marshall after his stable jockey took a major step towards being crowned ladies' champion with a thrilling win on IK Brunel at the Berks & Bucks Draghounds Point-to-Point meeting at Kingston Blount, near Chinnor.
Having seen title rival Gina Andrews cut her lead to one with victory on I'm Spellbound at Sunday's fixture, Marshall went head-to-head with the 10-time champion in the Dickie Lim Memorial Mixed Open.
Andrews made much of the running on Tigerbythetail, before Marshall's mount took a narrow lead at the fourth-last and the pair duelled over the final three fences, with IK Brunel edging a battle royal by half a length.
The winner returned to huge cheers, and Hill, who trains at nearby Aston Rowant, said: "I think this championship has brought out the best of Izzie Marshall's riding. I don't think I've ever seen her ride with so much desire, but very sensibly as well. She is just riding the races that horses need. She is thinking about it, and she is loving it."
Marshall added: "I just wanted to time it for the right moment because IK takes a while to get rolling. He jumped very well down the back straight. The dream's still alive."
The 10-year-old is owned by the IK Brunel Partnership, consisting of Lynn and Martin Redman, Rodney and Gillie Mann and Maurice Thomas, with Lynn commenting: "What a horse and Izzie is just amazing. We love her to bits. She tries so hard."
IK Brunel was returning to winning ways after finishing second at Fakenham last month, and Hill added: "I would not say that's the best race he has ever run for us, but it's the gutsiest. They have served up a treat - the two leading women in the country jumping the last two upsides - and it is good for the sport."
It felt like the defining race in a titanic tussle between the pair - and so it proved as the National Championships finished at Chaddesley Corbett on Bank Holiday Monday with Marshall claiming a first crown with the final score 24-21.
Andrews had enjoyed a smooth success on I'm Spellbound in the preceding JM Finn Conditions Race (Level 3).
The multiple champion, who also trains the eight-year-old for the Signy & Marriage Families at Marton, near Rugby, took up the running five from home, and her mount swept clear to score by 13 lengths from Back It Up and Dale Peters.
After returning to cries of 'Oi, Oi' and cheers which continued into the weighing room as a downpour hit the track, Andrews said: "He was back to his best. He had a really bad fall at Larkhill when he was going to win, and it has taken until now to get his confidence back. We have always thought he was a good horse and things have not gone right for him."
Andrews and Lunar Contact were sent off evens favourite to reduce the gap again in the Old Rectory Stud Restricted Race only for the six-year-old to take a heavy fall at the third-last as Ffree Pedro initiated a double for rider Ed Vaughan and trainer Bradley Gibbs.
Thankfully, Lunar Contact and Andrews, who were in third at the time, emerged unscathed.
Vaughan, the runaway winner of the men's novice championship, had set out to make all on Ffree Pedro and the Tim Talbot-owned eight-year-old was left clear when Starevitch slipped up on the bend approaching the second-last to pass the post 17 lengths ahead of Serenisa and Walter Barnett.
Gibbs, who trains at Lemsford, near Welwyn Garden City, said: "He ran last week and won very well at Tabley. I thought he was in good order - he didn't come off the bridle. He could run once more after a week off."
Vaughan added: "He was not doing a lot in front. He ran over hurdles (for Donald McCain) and knows his job. He is quite streetwise."
Gibbs and Vaughan completed their double when L'Aventara got off the mark in the closing Thorn Plant Hire Maiden.
Taking up the running five from home, the six-year-old daughter of Kayf Tara stayed on powerfully to pass the post 12 lengths ahead of Jullou De Grissay and Charlie Case.
Reflecting on a stunning first campaign, the 16-year-old rider added: "It has been an unbelievable season. Many thanks to mum and dad for putting me up and having so many runners in pointing. I knew I had a couple to go to war with through the winter, but 27 winners and a walkover is phenomenal. I couldn't have dreamed about this."
Gibbs was delighted to provide Vaughan with a double, saying: "Ed is only two behind James Bowen's record for novice winners in a season. I worked for Ed's father, Tim, for six or seven years, and had a lot of chances off him, so it's good to repay him."
L'Aventara was bred by her Bedfordshire-based owner Chris Harriman out of his 2005 Welsh National winner L'Aventure, who passed away a few years ago.
"I have been lucky," he said. "I bred a number of them and all of them out of her have won. Ed gave her a great ride and was confident on her. It was good to see she was strong at the end."
Katie Featherstone produced a well-judged ride on Secret Cargo to deny Tight Call and Vaughan in the SEA Transport PPORA Club Members Conditions Race (Level 2), for Novice Riders.
Vaughan's mount went clear on the final circuit in the 2m 5f contest, but Featherstone timed her challenge to perfection on her 10-year-old, collaring the leader at the last to win going away by four and a half lengths.
The owner-trainer-rider, who is based at Wadhurst in Sussex, said: "He is really good fun. He is such a good jumper, which really helps. He ran on really well."
The success saw Featherstone join Natasha Cookson and Anna Johnston on four winners at the top of the lady novice riders' championship, only missing the title on countback of placed rides.
On an afternoon when all six favourites were beaten, Captain Woodie set the ball rolling by winning the Little Red Owner-Trainer Conditions Race (Level 3) for the second successive year.
Freddie Mitchell sent the 12-year-old, owned and trained by Lewis Morgan out of Charlie Mann's Neardown Stables at Upper Lambourn, into the lead after the second-last and, despite a slow jump at the final fence, his mount had enough in hand to hold off the staying-on Imperial Acolyte and Featherstone by two lengths.
The 12-year-old had not been seen since failing to complete at Larkhill on New Year's Eve, and Morgan, who works for Nicky Henderson where he became friends with Mitchell, explained: "He hit a fence and a bit of birch stuck in his leg. He had a haematoma and I've waited for that to heal up."
Mitchell added: "He is a brilliant old ride. I actually broke Captain Woodie in as a store. The horse has had so many issues and Lewis has spent a lot of money and time getting him right. Lewis and the horse deserve it."
The winning rider is now looking forward to a fresh challenge. "I am moving to Gary Moore's in July and plan to turn pro," he revealed.
The fixture also featured the Berks & Bucks Draghound Race, sponsored by Tyreteam, with Dartmoor winning for the second time in three years.
The South Midlands Area awards, sponsored by Stratford Racecourse, were presented after the meeting.
SOUTH MIDLANDS AREA AWARDS
Leading Horse: Simon Paynter's Golan Fortune. Trainer: Gina Ellis. Trainer (5 horses or fewer): Dawn Ball. Men's Rider: Charlie Case. Lady Rider: Izzie Marshall. Novice Rider: Tom Hutsby. Mare: Guy Myddelton's Threeunderthree. Mark Barlow Novice Rider Award: Walter Barnett.
KINGSTON BLOUNT & KIMBLE CHAMPIONSHIPS
Leading Horse: Katie Featherstone's Secret Cargo. Rider: Gina Andrews.