PERRY Gardener was the surprise pick of Ludlow Castle’s bunch with a class victory at the Brean Stages in Somerset.

Seeded 91st alongside co-driver Jamie Vaughan, Gardener set a blistering pace in his Vauxhall Nova to hit the front in their section and rocket up to 34th in the overall standings.

Overall, the duo topped the class by some 20 seconds in what was Gardener’s second career rally.

Roger Titley and Chris Ransley defied problems on stage two of 12 to register 36th place, one below their initial ranking, en route to fourth in their class in Titley’s BMW.

The other higher-placed competitors from Ludlow Castle endured a frustrating rally which ended prematurely for each pair.

Jack Bowen co-piloted Trevor Morgan’s Darrian T90 but a half spin in greasy conditions on stage one followed by a hold up on stage five conspired against them.

A good choice of tyres on day two saw them battle up to 21st and second in class having started out 33rd seeds before a broken half shaft on the final leg ended their bid.

Tenbury-based Lee Halfpenny and Tom Beamond succumbed to persistent misfiring during stage 11.