THE overcast weather did not stop a huge crowd gathering at Charing where the Ashford Valley held their traditional Easter Saturday meeting.

There were plenty of runners for all six races and punters had their fair share with four of the favourites winning.

The Marcus Gorman owned and ridden Cape Stormer continued his winning ways to make this his fourth consecutive win of the current campaign. His jumping was not always fluent but he did not like the soft ground, preferring a firmer surface. He will continue to run in points but will certainly be aimed at the Mens Open final to be run at Towcester in May carrying a £10,000 prize.

Caroline Taylor, owner / trainer / rider of Millennium Way had her third consecutive win in the Ladies Open, bringing their total number of successes between the flags to eight since she bought the horse two years ago. Philip Hall also won a hunter chase at Folkestone last year on Millennium Way.

Saffron Hill travelled up from Hampshire to take the restricted. The horse obviously likes the course as he won the 2.5 mile Maiden here earlier in the season. Coming down the hill for the second time he held off the strong challenge of Court Award ridden by Chris Gordon and won by two lengths on the line.

It was good to see owner Andrew Hickman back in the winner’s enclosure after a long absence. His syndicated runner, Munster’s Best, took the 2.5 mile Maiden well ridden by Alex Merriam. the horse blundered at the second last when he over-jumped but Merriam picked the horse up brlliantly and went on to win. Hickman acquired the six year old after he ran third in a Maiden at Kinsale in Ireland in 2005.

Tim Underwood from the Newbury area brought two horses to the meeting. His first ride on Withington ended when the horse slipped up on the top bend giving Underwood a heavy fall.

He decided to give up his second ride on White’s Touch and put Phil York up who duly won the race for him.

The Hunt Race proved to be a very competitive event. The favourite Minino, ridden by Caroline Taylor, looked all over the winner three out, with Dick McCarthy and Sarah Ashby a length back. The eventual winner, Nicodemus, was a further 12 lengths away in third.

However, novice rider Helen Williams had the leaders well in her sights and by the time they reached the final bend with just one to go Williams galvanised her horse to take the race by a short head. This made two wins in a fortnight for the novice rider.