REVITALISED veteran Ace High claimed the first ‘Classic’ of the point-to-point season – the Savills Lord Ashton of Hyde’s Cup – at the Heythrop’s annual fixture at Cocklebarrow near Aldsworth on Sunday, writes Andrew Norman.

The winner, an ex-Victor Dartnall and David Pipe inmate, sauntered clear of Champion Novice Hunter Chase runner-up Connies Cross to record a facile 15-length success in the stamina-sapping 3m 6½f contest.

The 12-year-old, partnered for the first time by Darren Edwards, had recorded just one victory from nine previous attempts between the flags but posted his best performance in this sphere when second to the useful Temple Grandin at the Harkaway last month.

Ace High is owned and trained by Exford-based Janet Ackner, the Devon and Somerset Staghounds joint-secretary and stud groom.

A jubilant Ackner was gaining compensation for a narrow defeat in the 2012 renewal, the final Heythrop meeting to be held at the now-defunct Dunthrop.

“We were second in this race with our home-bred King of the Road so it’s great to go one better,” said the trainer.

"He’s very lightly raced for a 12-year-old. We never really found out what was wrong with him last season but it’s all starting to come together now."

Bridgnorth handler Philip Rowley continued his flying start to the season as Stoleaway scored smoothly in the Subaru Restricted Race.

The six-year-old Irish maiden winner always travelled well under Pete Bryan and hunter chases, including a possible tilt at the Subaru Final at Stratford in May, look well within his compass.

Rowley was enjoying his fifth winner of the campaign.

Dual Irish hunter chase winner Good Egg caused an upset in the AGA Ladies' Open. The 13-year-old jumped ahead four out before registering a comfortable victory under Sarah Rippon, who was celebrating her third winner.

She rides out for upwardly mobile National Hunt trainer Harry Whittington and rents a stable from Henrietta Knight to train the imposing son of Exit To Nowhere.

Rippon said: “I’m very much a novice rider and can’t really ride! Co-owners Dom (Wertheimer) and Char (Wills) have helped out a lot so credit goes to them."

A tough performance saw the consistent Iberico (Sam Jukes) land the 17-runner King’s Head Novice Riders contest. The winner, under a welter burden of 12st 7lb, has won five of his 11 British points since breaking his maiden in Ireland in 2012.

One of five horses trained by Kirsty Adcock for owner Clive Bennett in Dymock, he winner survived a bad blunder at the penultimate fence before regaining momentum to stay on strongly.

Buck Magic completed an early season hat-trick after supplementing the Knight Frank Hunt Members race to his recent Barbury and Cottenham triumphs.

The 10-year-old, owned, trained and ridden by John Smith-Maxwell, jumped alarmingly right throughout but still proved too good for his three rivals.

The victor has a 100 per cent record for Smith-Maxwell since changing hands for £8,500 at Ascot Sales last summer.

The biggest turn up on the card came in division one of the Carter Jonas six-year-olds and over Open Maiden as Cab On Times (16-1) finally put it all together at the 12th attempt.

A fourth success for promising 17-year-old rider Jordan Nailor, the winner is stationed with Belbroughton owner-trainer Stephen Rea.

Rea said: “He’s from the family of Cab On Target who couldn’t win a point but won 20 races under rules.”

The second division went the way of nine-year-old ex-hurdler Detank. The victory capped a memorable weekend for Cradley trainer John Bryan, who celebrated a double at Larkhill the previous day.

Joey Kangaroo skipped home in the closing B. A. Hull four, five and six-year-olds Open Maiden race (2m 4f).

The gelding had shown little in seven outings for David Phelan last term but was unchallenged under a hands and heels Dave Mansell ride.

A shrewd £1,200 purchase at Ascot last June, Mansell’s wife Julie trains the six-year-old at their Hasfield base for The ‘Farmers Arms’ Partnership – a group of regulars at the Birtsmorton public house of the same name.