Dabinett Moon provided the biggest cheer of the day when claiming a popular victory for Chipping Norton trainer Fran Marriott at the Heythrop Hunt meeting at Cocklebarrow, near Aldsworth, writes JAKE EXELBY.

Having only her third race, the fast-improving mare landed the members’ race under Claire Hart from Be Definite and Moorland Sunset.

“Didn’t she jump well?” exclaimed Marriott, who also owns Dabinett Moon with her husband, Chris, the secretary of the meeting.

“We weren’t expecting her to win, as the other horses were so much more experienced.”

Dabinett Moon, whose dam, Miss Crabapple, was also raced by the Marriotts, is remarkably the 14th individual winner out of their broodmare Windfall and her daughters.

She is the only horse currently in training with Fran, but the pair have a long association with this race.

“I think we’ve won the Heythrop members’ five times,” recalled Chris.

“Last time would have been Mr Smudge, ridden by Andy Martin in 2004, and before that I won it twice riding Pardelesa and once on Prince Pippin.”

Say No, ridden by Freddie Henderson and owned and trained by his father, James, captured the men’s open for the Lord Ashton of Hyde’s Cup over three miles and seven furlongs.

He jumped to the front at the third-last fence and galloped clear to beat Schindlers Prince with Perfectly Willing, the favourite for one of the sport’s four ‘classic’ races, back in third.

Moscow Blaze was sent off a hot favourite to follow up last year’s win in the ladies’ open, but faded to finish fourth as Ballyjames jumped beautifully for Hannah Watson to pip Tinelyra in the day’s closest finish.

Ballyjames is trained by Heidi Brookshaw, whose father, Steve Brookshaw, saddled Lord Gyllene to win the 1997 Grand National.

Training honours went to Tom Weston with a double, initiated by Jetnova in the novice riders’ race, giving John Smith-Maxwell only his second winner.

Weston’s second success was Thoonawalla, who he rode to victory in an incident-packed three-mile maiden race, which saw only five of the 16 starters complete the course.

Love Manhattan ran out an easy winner of the opening restricted for Melton Mowbray-based trainer Helen Connors.

And Champagne Benefit, trained by Katy Price, sent favourite backers home happy by taking the closing two and a half mile maiden.