A QUALITY card at Bangor-on-Dee on Wednesday afternoon was attended by a good midweek crowd of 3,000 enthusiasts.

Racing began with a very easy three-length win for the 4-6 favourite Blythe Knight in Division I of the Daresbury Properties Novices' Hurdle. Tony McCoy tracked Dandygrey Russett in the closing stages and his mount pricked his ears to lead over the last and pull clear.

Winning trainer John Quinn explained: 'He schooled well at home, that'll have done him the world of good. He took to it and we'll look for another similar race. I'll never ask him to go further than two miles, it was great the way he enjoyed it.'

Brave Villa looked the likely winner one mile from home in the Tarporley Hunt Novices' Handicap Steeplechase with a fine display of jumping but was unable to keep up the pace in the closing stages. Top weight Nenuphar Collonges, ridden by Robert Thornton and sent off at 4-1, closed on the leader and galloped home to win by half a length.

Leading from the third fence, Mr Pointment maintained his prominent position throughout the Spinal Injuries Association Beginners' Steeplechase. The 6-5 favourite needed little encouragement from jockey Paddy Brennan to hold off a late challenge and score by one-and-a-quarter lengths from 66-1 outsider Heez A Dreamer.

The Welsh Grand National at Chepstow next month is the target for Bob Bob Bobbin, the 9-1 winner of the £16,000 Anne Duchess of Westminster Memorial Handicap Steeplechase. Joe Tizzard had his mount clear of the field with the only realistic challenger being Distant Thunder who finished two lengths back in second.

Trainer Colin Tizzard said: 'We came here for the ground, to look after him. Today he's grown up. In the race he travelled and jumped, he got into a rhythm. Joe said he'll improve, we wanted him to do himself justice today.'

McCoy recorded a double in the Midlands Centre For Spinal Injuries Maiden Hurdle. Taking up the running with four flights to jump, Tritonix justified being the 4-6 favourite by cruising home unopposed to a 19-length victory. This performance earned the grey colt a quote of 33-1 from William Hill for the Triumph Hurdle at Cheltenham next March.

Division II of the Daresbury Properties Novices' Hurdle Race resulted in a success for Manhattan Boy, one of the 11-4 joint favourites. The four-year-old bowled along in front for Richard Johnson and despite flattening the last hurdle, his nearest rival, Kanad could only get to within two-and-a-half lengths of the winner.

The field was well strung out entering the straight in the Walker Smith Way Handicap Hurdle with 9-1 chance San Antonio comfortably in the lead for Warren Marston. A good jump at the final flight resulted in a three-and-a-half length win for San Antonio from Inn For the Dancer.