FINDLAYS Find won 24 races in a long and glittering career so it was fitting a horse of his stature went into the record books as the first horse to win over the new course at Knightwick.
American Legend and Findlays Find disputed the lead for the first half of the Conditions but Mansell’s mount constantly outjumped his rival who started to drop off the pace with a circuit to run.
Moscow Presents maintained contact along the backstraight but had three lengths to make up on the final bend.
He never looked like closing the gap and Findlays Find had the race in safe keeping.
Dave Mansell was given one of his celebration salutes on the flat and that allowed his rival to reduce his lead but never looked likely to be bridge it.
Three horses lined up for the Restricted but it was hard pressed to pick a winner at the last.
Golanzine and Dans Wee Man kept one another company before Mark Wilesmith’s mount took up the running at the 11th.
The first two had a four-length advantage over Western Movie on the final bend and Guy Disney asked his mount for a final effort soon afterwards.
The two horses were in the air together at the 17th and the last but Golanzine hit the fence hard and lost all chance but was closing again on the run to the line.
Disney’s riding exploits are well known and do not require repeating but he was singing the praises of his mount, who jumped well throughout and this victory provided compensation for their unlucky experience at Kimble.
The nine-year-old races under a North Cotswold certificate and runs in the colours of the Disney and Garland families.
Riding honours went to Tommie O’Brien.
He has formed a good association with horses from Tom and Sophie Lacey’s Woolhope yard this year and that continued when he partnered Soraya to success in the Maiden.
Just two horses lined up but Upton Lara got no further than the third fence, which meant the odds on favourite had to complete the rest of the journey on her own.
She was less than foot perfect at some obstacles but never looked like falling and will obviously have gained useful experience from this outing.
The winner is owned by ex-champion jockey Alistair Crow and looks the type to progress further up the pointing ladder.
Iwasthefutureonce ran well at Chaddesley at Christmas before being pulled up at Brampton a couple of months later but he was given a confident ride by O’Brien who dictated the pace from the front.
The favourite Orchard Lane moved onto the heels of the leader with a circuit to run, but O’Brien’s mount began to inch clear down the back straight.
Orchard Lane was within touching distance as they turned back towards home but Iwasthefutureonce kept up the relentless gallop and drew further and further clear over the final two fences.
Derksen and Royal Captain had established a clear advantage over the first couple of fences of the two-and-a-half mile Intermediate and this strong pace resulted in a number of fallers.
Guiting Power and Jungle Legend were sent in pursuit of the leader with a mile to run and with Alice Stevens’s mount stride beginning to shorten, it seemed only a matter of time before they were reeled in.
Guiting Power’s effort petered out over the final three fences, whereas Jungle Legend got to within a length and a half of the leader at the third from home.
That was as close as he got because Derksen kept up the gallop and had four lengths to spare at the line.
The Mixed Open was run over three-and-a-half miles and attracted the biggest field of the day.
Big Georgie and Colbert Station set the pace until the latter began to drop back with a mile to run.
Mount Choisy moved into a threatening position soon afterwards, but the opposition had no response when Garde Ville hit the front in the home straight.
He continued to pile on the pressure and had ten lengths to spare over Big Georgie at the line.
