RACHAEL Blackmore is a major talent and made it an excellent day for female riders when making most of the running on Henry de Bromhead’s Moon Over Germany in the Red Rum Handicap Chase.

The Phillip Reynolds-owned eight-year-old has been disappointing of late but was sent along right from the start, a change of tactics which saw him drop from 10/1 to 11/2 before the off.

As the going worsened Cracking Find fell at the first, doing Paul Nicholls’ Brelan D’As no favours in the process. They were well strung-out for a two-mile handicap chase, though Adrrastos kept tabs on the winner and the very tough and consistent Lady Buttons was never far away.

Even so, nothing was travelling as well as Moon Over Germany, who fairly bounded clear and will win again in this form, although the handicapper will have his say. Lady Buttons, who was made 5/1 favourite, kept on for second.

TABITHA ON TOP

Top Wood, a very good third in the Foxhunter at Cheltenham, made light of a first appearance over the famous National fences and fought back with the utmost gameness to reel in Burning Ambition in the Randox Health Foxhunters.

The runner-up was partnered by last year’s winning rider Derek O’Connor but Tabitha Worsley, claiming the full 7lb allowance, led and pulled clear in the straight and then coaxed a spirited response from the 12-year-old after being headed.

Keeping as straight as a gun barrel, Top Wood galloped on to score by two lengths with Road To Riches (David Maxwell third, followed by Coastal Tiep and Road To Rome.

The last-named was backed down to 11/4 favourite to give Sam Waley-Cohen a remarkable seventh win over the fences but weakened late on.

Top Wood is trained by Kelly Morgan for Johnny Weatherby and started at 14/1.

“He’s such a tough horse, just amazing really,” she said. “When the other one went past I thought we might lose but he just stuck his neck out, then put his head down when it mattered. I knew he’d stay all right.”

Three winners for Ireland on the opening day night well have become four, especially with de Bromhead’s unbeaten Minella Melody starting 6/4 favourite for the mares’ bumper in the hands of Patrick Mullins.

However, Alan King has been in rare form of late and The Glancing Queen, a very fair fifth in the Champion Bumper at Cheltenham, proved too strong in the closing stages, scoring by just over two lengths in the hands of Wayne Hutchinson.

As with the previous race, punters narrowed it down to the first two in the betting, the winner being sent off at 5/1.