Harry Whittington is on a high after Mount Benger – the only point-to-pointer he trains – gave him his first National Hunt winner with a thrilling success at Huntingdon.

Whittington, 30, who runs a satellite yard at Sparsholt, near Wantage, for Lambourn trainer Nicky Henderson, saddled the 11-year-old to gain an unlikely victory in a hunters’ chase.

His charge looked to be facing a hopeless task as he trailed the field in the three-mile contest.

But amateur jockey Sean Keating, who works for Whittington, persevered and sent Mount Benger into the lead two fences from home, before holding off Templer by a head.

The 13-2 chance was also the 26-year-old Irish rider’s first jumps winner – although he has enjoyed one success on the Flat.

Mount Benger was second on his first National Hunt run for Whittington, who said: “I was obviously del-ighted to get the win, and get it with a couple of good horses like Templer and Noakard de Verzee in the race, so it was a great thrill for us.

“Sean gets on very well with him and managed to galvanise him and never gave up on him.”

Now Whittington is aiming Mount Benger at the Christie’s Foxhunters Chase at the Cheltenham Festival on Friday, March 18 and the John Smith’s Fox Hunters Chase at Aintree on Thursday, April 7.

“It was a great sense of relief to get him qualified (for Cheltenham) and it makes for a great day out for all of us,” he added.

Whittington, a grandson of the late Colin Nash, from nearby Kingston Lisle, trains Mount Benger for distant relative Richard Fuller, a director of Fuller’s brewery, and his wife, Charlotte.

It was due to the family connection that they sent him the horse, who had to be nursed back to health with five months box rest after falling on the road and cutting his knees.

His then owner asked trainer Dai Williams to find him a home and he joined the Fullers, with the idea that he could be a schoolmaster next year for their daughter, Page.

“It is special for them as well because they have worked very hard to get him back from injury,” added Whittington.