TOWN Parks romped to a convincing success to hand the Presteigne-based stable of Kerry Lee a local victory in the Cobnobs Handicap Chase at Ludlow Racecourse.

The horse has a good course record and was never troubled in landing the £9,000 first prize, pulling well clear of Night Of Sin on the run-in with the favourite At Its Own Expense tailed off back in third, writes Simon Burgess

Rebecca Curtis is another respected trainer at Ludlow and the Newport handler enjoyed a double when Oscar Asche and Legends Gold both won their hurdle races in fine style.

Leading jumps trainer Nicky Henderson began the meeting with a quickfire double as well-fancied duo Hijack and Allart landed both divisions of the CB Security Novice Hurdle with minimal fuss.

Hijack carried his 6lb penalty for a previous hurdle win without issue, while Allart, back from a 75-day break after falling on his hurdling debut, was the most impressive winner on the card.

Henderson was unable to add to his tally as Sleight of Hand and Felony both pulled up in the next race and in the concluding bumper Miss Farage was only a fast finishing third.

The winner of the bumper, One True King, trained by Nigel Twiston Davies, seemed to revel in the mud with an aggressive front-running ride by Sam Twiston Davies, backed into 8/1 from 14/1.

The most eventful race of the day was the Highflyer Bloodstock Hunter Chase which went to 20/1 shot Magna Sam, another local success for Glyn Slade-Jones.

Paul Nicholls’s Alcala went off a warm odds-on favourite but fell when leading two fences from home, also bringing down Dieu Vivant.

With Ballynagour having come to grief four fences out, this left Magna Sam and outsider Wizards Bridge the only two finishers.

Ludlow’s next meeting is on Wednesday, February 5.