THE dry spell last week meant that the ground had been watered in order to produce good going for the first National Hunt meeting of the season, with fine, sunny conditions.

Rhondda trainer Paul Morgan has a useful prospect in Potters Corner (8/11 fav), who had won the bumper on this card last year. He jumped well in today’s hurdling debut in the 2m4f maiden, having taken a lead of a length or two from early on in the back straight. He pulled out more when asked by Tom O’Brien to go further ahead after the second last and ran out a convincing two and a quarter length winner from Tried And Tested.

In the 3m handicap hurdle Tobefair (7/1) made it three wins out of three races since joining Debbie Hamer’s Carmarthenshire yard, thanks to a very confident ride by Trevor Whelan. He waited until after the last to overtake Ballyknock Lad, who had led from three out, and went by readily to score by one length.

The favourite Marju’s Quest went off fast in the 2m4f seller but had nothing left when Robert Williams brought Fuzzy Logic (7/1) to challenge before the last. Six lengths away, Tijori grabbed second to make it a 1-2 for Bernard Llewellyn. This was the third Welsh-trained winner in a row.

A decent 3m novices’ handicap chase went to the Nigel Twiston-Davies-trained Ballykan (100/30), who tracked the leaders until hitting the front four out. Derrintogher Bliss came to make a fight of it two out but couldn’t peg back the winner, who was ridden to a two and a quarter length success by Daryl Jacob.

The complexion of the 2m handicap hurdle changed completely when the leader Oscar Jane came down at the second last. This left Sadma (8/1) in front and though Drummond challenged, Nick Lampard’s grey maintained a narrow advantage all the way to the line, giving jockey William Featherstone the fifth winner of his career. Taste The Wine ran on to be a three-quarter length runner-up.

A short-priced favourite for the 2m handicap chase, the Irish raider Not For You departed at the first fence. That made it easier for Ben Case’s My Nosy Rosy (10/1), who ran on stoutly to hold off the persistent efforts of the 13 year old mare Maizy Missile. The six length winner gave Daryl Jacob a double.

Point-to-point winner Fact Of The Matter (3/1) took the bumper, having led from halfway and seen off the favourite Petethepear early in the home straight. Sean Bowen rode him for Jamie Snowden. The one that went into all the notebooks was Desert Retreat, who was very green but kept on under pressure from a long way out to get to within a length and a half.