Belinda rides to a winning finale (From Tewkesbury Admag)

Belinda rides to a winning finale

SNOWSHILL trainer Dolly Maude retired L'Idefix immediately after the horse had ended his racing career on a high note with victory before a record crowd in Monday's North Cotswold Point-to-Point Members' Race at Paxford.

Condicote-based jockey Belinda Keighley had L'Idefix in front from the start and they maintained their advantage despite a couple of minor errors. They started to draw clear of Noisy Miner and Lannkaran at the 14th and had the race in safe keeping approaching the home turn.

With owner Graeme McPherson still sidelined with a shoulder injury, Liam Payter renewed his association with Misty Ramble in the Intermediate.

The horse is a tricky ride but Payter has struck up a good partnership with him this season and their rivals were always fighting a losing battle after Misty Ramble had taken the lead at the 13th.

His stride began to shorten as they approached the penultimate and this left the door open for the favourite Landing Rights, but he was unable to take advantage of the situation which allowed Misty Ramble to stay on and provide another winner for Jill Carenza's stable at Stanton.

The remainder of the afternoon belonged to trainer Dick Baimbridge and jockey Clare Allen, who won the Ladies' Open with Titus Bramble and the Restricted with The Wee Bishop.

Miss Allen took a heavy fall at Garnons last weekend and was fulsome in her praise for the Berkeley trainer's help over the last week. Being associated with such a great stable has its problems but Clare has coped with them admirably while Titus Bramble, who has been placed in all four outings so far this season, was not winning out of turn.

The Wee Bishop coped with the conditions better than his rivals in the Restricted and they were left toiling in his wake when he led at the 14th. A prodigious jump took him clear at the next and he increased his advantage with every stride over the final two fences.

Katarino followed up his Didmarton win with an impressive display in the Men's Open for Cheltenham director Robert Waley Cohen, while Solid as a Rock rewarded connections for the long journey up from Devon by taking the five-six-seven-year-old Maiden under Polly Gundry.

Members: 1 L'Idefix (Mrs B Keighley) 7-1, 2 Forest Ivory (J Goss) 16-1, 3 Noisy Miner (G Disney) 16-1. 10 Ran.

Intermediate: 1 Misty Ramble (L Payter) 11-4, 2 Landing Rights (I Howe) 6-4 fav, 3 Baccarat (Miss L Brooke) 16-1. 7 Ran.

Ladies' Open: 1 Titus Bramble (Miss C Allen 4-6 fav, 2 Catfish Keith (Miss S Duckett) 12-1, 3 Young Whack (Mrs A Rucker) 5-2. 6 Ran.

Men's Open: 1 Katarino (S Waley Cohen) 1-2 fav, 2 Well Ted (J M Pritchard) 6-1, 3 Love at Dawn (P Mason) 9-1.

Restricted: 1 The Wee Bishop (Miss C Allen) 2-1, 2 Granoski Gala (E Walker) 4-1, 3 Minsterial (H Kinchin) 7-1. 12 Ran.

Five-six-seven-year-old: 1 Solid as a Rock (Miss P Gundry) 4-1, 2 Master Jubb (A Phillips) 8-1, 3 Has She Bucked Yet (C Wadland) 5-1. 16 Ran.

Eight-year-old and Upwards Maiden: 1 Gibraltar Bill (T Ellis) 3-1, 2 Knighton Star (J M Pritchard) 5-2, 3 Dun Aegus (M Wall) 16-1. 13 Ran.