Gillies Nephew continued the revival in fortunes of Aston Rowant trainer Lawney Hill with victory at the Heythrop Hunt meeting at Dunthrop, near Chipping Norton.

The six-year-old gelding was brought with a well-timed run by James Tudor to get the better of Gentleman's Relish by a length in the closing open maiden over two-and-a-half miles at Sunday's meeting.

With Gray Knight having scored at Cottenham, it was Hill's second winner of the season - double her tally for last year when her yard was badly hit by a bug.

An ecstatic Hill said: "James is the one who has done all the work on this horse. He is his favourite horse and he calls him Arkle. He loves him to bits."

Abbeyknock Boy gave Brad Clarke, who trains at Charlton, near Brackley, a winner with his first runner when taking the first division of an incident-packed three-mile open maiden.

Clarke bought the seven-year-old out of National Hunt trainer Milton Harris's Edgcote stables, near Banbury, where he used to ride out.

And, with four horses departing at the first fence, he gained an instant reward when the gelding held on to beat Johnsair by half-a-length under Polly Gundry.

It completed a double for the top women's rider after she had earlier taken the ladies' open on What A Mover.

The eight-year-old mare stayed on well to beat Susie Samworth's veteran, Garolo, by four lengths.

It also initiated a double for Cullompton trainer Ollie Bush, whose classy stayer Bright Approach landed the men's open for the Lord Ashton of Hyde's Cup for the second year running.

As short as 1-5 in the betting ring, the 11-year-old grey was sent into the lead at third last by Julian Pritchard and only had to be pushed out to beat the strong-finishing Mr Smudge, from Fran Marriott's Chipping Norton yard, and Ben King by a length.

Thor's Phantom missed out on a crack at a hat-trick of wins in the Heythrop Hunt race after being kicked by stablemate Mr Smudge while schooling.

And that left the way clear for Ryans Star and Jo Parrris, who used to ride as an amateur for the late Banbury trainer John Webber, to beat Rockfield Lane by a comfortable two lengths.

Kustom Kit Grizzley benefitted from the application of blinkers to take the confined hunts' race in the hands of Andrew Barlow.

And Harry Dowty gave Rodney Trotter, whom owner David Keyte had bought as an early 50th birthday present for himself, a fine ride to beat Camden Carrig by three-quarters of a length in the intermediate race.

The second division of the three-mile open maiden went to Greenkeys and trainer-rider Tim Stephenson.