Hook Norton teenager James Martin was thrill-ed to notch his first winner with an easy victory aboard Trifollet as the curtain came down on racing at Dunthrop, near Chipping Norton.

Riding the seven-year-old mare, owned by his parents Andy and Julia, in the first division of the open maiden for six-year-olds and over at the Heythrop Hunt fixture, Martin stormed home by 15 lengths from Great Moss.

“It’s really exciting and I want to get a couple more now,” said the 16-year-old, who is an apprentice farrier to his father and was having his fourth ride.

“I looked behind me and I couldn’t see anyone in sight. She put a short one in at the last and just flew home.”

With racing ending at the venue after 29 years, organisers reported one of their biggest gates with around 500 cars rolling up.

Another local success saw Chiquilline take the maiden conditions race for four to seven-year-olds for Pudlicote trainer Tom Lacey.

Tom Weston’s mount jump-ed the last fence alongside Shales Rock before stretching clear on the run-in to win by three lengths.

The victory rekindled memories for owner Tessa Blazey, from Clapton-on-the-Hill in Gloucestershire, who said: “The last time I came here was when I rode my only winner (Sirisat) 16 years ago.”

Marblehead took the men’s open for the Lord Ashton of Hyde’s Cup by a length from King Of The Road, with last year’s winner, Naunton Brook, a length and a half back in third.

Jelly O’Brien, who trains at Fossebridge in Gloucestershire, gave all the credit to jockey Mark Wall, saying: “He has been nagging me for three years to run him in this race and he was right.”

Herefordshire trainer-rider Sarah-Jayne Davies dictated affairs on Upton Springs to land the ladies’ open for the second successive year.

Menelaus, second to Battlecry in the members’ race 12 months ago, went one better this time.

The 11-year-old, trained by Joan Johnston at Hinton-in-the-Hedges, was produced by Matt Smith to collar Karasakal at the last fence, before forging clear for a four-lengths verdict.

Rock And Ska gave Karen O’Neill, who trains at Suckley in Worcestershire, a winner on her 49th birthday when taking the second division of the open maiden for six-year-olds and over, under James Ridley.

Twocute sprang a 33-1 shock for trainer David Dando and his jockey-son, Charlie, in the Point-to-Point Owners & Riders’ Association Club members race for novice riders.

And the honour of winning the last race to be run at Dunthrop went to Gypsy Mark, who gave Lewis Gordon a first winner on his second ride.

The 17-year-old works at Ablington, near Cirencester, for trainer Peter Mason, who said: “I am not too worried whether it is the last or the first winner here really, but it is nice because it is a family horse.”

RESULTS

Open maiden 6yo plus (Div 1): 1 TRIFOLLET (James Martin) 2-1 fav, 2 Great Moss 16-1, 3 Upton Harriet 40-1. Trainer: Julia Martin. Dist: 15l, 25l. 14 ran.

Open maiden 6yo plus (Div 2): 1 ROCK AND SKA (J Ridley) 10-1, 2 Aconitum 6-1, 3 Road To Recovery 8-1. Trainer: K O’Neill. Dist: 4l, nk. 13 ran.

Maiden conditions 4-7yo: 1 CHIQUILLINE (T Weston) 11-10 fav, 2 Shales Rock 6-1, 3 Forest Walker 9-1. Trainer: T Lacey. Dist: 3l, 1l. 15 ran.

Members: 1 MENELAUS (M Smith) 11-4, 2 Karasakal 7-4 fav, 3 Sudden Arrival 4-1. Trainer: J Johnston. Dist: 4l, 12l. 5 ran.

Ladies’ open: 1 UPTON SPRINGS (S-J Davies) 4-6 fav, 2 Virginia Preuil 25-1, 3 Whistling Straits 12-1. Trainer: S-J Davies. Dist: 2.5l, 20l. 8 ran.

Men’s open (Lord Ashton of Hyde’s Cup): 1 MARBLEHEAD (M Wall) 7-2 jt fav, 2 King Of The Road 7-2 jt fav, 3 Naunton Brook 9-2. Trainer: J O’Brien. Dist: 1l, 1.5l. 11 ran.

PPORA Club Members (novice riders): 1 TWOCUTE (C Dando) 33-1, 2 Spare Change 2-1 fav, 3 Ben Ryan 8-1. Trainer: D Dando. Dist: 0.5l, 8l. 13 ran.

Restricted: 1 GYPSY MARK (L Gordon) 25-1, 2 Bright Decision 4-1, 3 Louisthenineteenth 7-2. Trainer: P Mason. Dist: 0.5l, 4l. 15 ran.