Moscow Court landed the Old Berkshire Hunt mixed open at Lockinge, near Wantage, for the second successive year on an Easter Monday card packed with drama and controversy.

Firm ground resulted in just 19 horses contesting the six races, but there was no shortage of incident for the bumper crowd.

Will Telfer had missed Moscow Court’s win 12 months ago with a broken leg.

But he was back aboard the 13-year-old from Celia Plunkett’s Wigginton yard, near Chipping Norton, and made all the running before holding off Eljay’s Boy by three-quarters of a length.

Plunkett said: “He has only won six times for us, but he has been second 14 times, so he doesn’t owe us anything.”

However, the race was marred by the death of Which Pocket, trained by Seran Sherwood and ridden by James Ward, who broke a leg on the run-in where he collided with a course marker.

Further drama came on the run-in two races later in a controversial finish to the restricted won by Just Stand-eese for Chinnor trainer Stephen Allen.

James Banks’s mount, who had been pulled up in a hunter chase at Towcester on Sunday, ran wide after taking the bend after the last fence.

And as Even Homer Nods and Dan Collins attempted to nip up his inside, Just Standeese veered back across the track, and his rival jumped a course marker, unseating his rider.

Both Collins and Even Homer Nods were unhurt.

But emotions were running high as Just Standeese and Banks returned to the winner’s enclosure after beating the remaining runner, Him-alayan Express, by three lengths.

Hugh Pearson, joint owner of Even Homer Nods, said: “The guy pushed the horse straight into the marker. The set-up here is dangerous. We are incandescent.”

Allen defended Banks, saying: “What is their guy doing coming down the inside? It is 50-50.”

After a stewards’ enquiry, the result was allowed to stand, but the officials found Banks guilty of careless riding and fined him £150.

Commenting on the two incidents involving the course markers, chairman of stewards Louise Bates said: “The first one was a very tragic accident.

“I think they are going to look into changing those hurdles. However, they have been like that for years and years, and we have never had trouble with them before.”

Banks was completing a double after shooting up the inside on Owston Ferry – trained by Neil Thomas at Denchworth, near Wantage – to pip Huckster and Maimie Powell, from Little Coxwell, near Faringdon, by a neck in the members’ race.

In a tight finish to the confined, Most Definitely rallied under 63-year-old owner-trainer-rider Tim Underwood, from Beedon, near Newbury, after running wide on the final bend to collar Honor And Glory by a neck.

Strong Weld repeated last year’s win in the Point-to-Point Owners And Riders’ Association Club Members’ race for veteran and novice riders, scoring by a distance for owner-rider Rhys Jenkins and trainer Nicky Sheppard.

And Mirage Prince broke his duck at the 26th attempt for owner-trainer-rider Pat-rick Millington when finishing alone after his two rivals in the open maiden had departed by the fifth fence.

RESULTS

Members: 1 OWSTON FERRY (J Banks) 10-11, 2 Huckster 4-6 fav. Trainer: N Thomas. Dist: nk. 2 ran.

Confined: 1 MOST DEFINITELY (T Underwood) 1-2 fav, 2 Honor And Glory 7-2, 3 Twenty Degrees 2-1. Trainer: T Underwood. Dist: nk, 25l. 3 ran.

Mixed open: 1 MOSCOW COURT (W Telfer 6-4 fav, 2 Eljay’s Boy 2-1, 3 Raydan 5-1. Trainer: C Plunkett. Dist: 3/4l, 25l. 4 ran.

PPORA Club Members (Veteran & Novice Riders): 1 STRONG WELD (R Jenkins) 1-2 fav, 2 Honourable Collins 3-1, 3 Smoke Trail 4-1. Trainer: N Sheppard. Dist: dist, dist. 4 ran.

Restricted: 1 JUST STANDEESE (J Banks) 7-2, 2 Himalayan Express 6-4. Only two finished. Trainer: S Allen. Dist: 3l. 3 ran.

Open maiden: 1 MIRAGE PRINCE (P Millington) 5-4 fav. Only one finished. Trainer: P Millington. 3 ran.