A week is a long time in Point-To-Point racing, as was demonstrated by trainer Tom Ellis at the Cambridgeshire with Enfield Chace fixture at Horseheath, near Haverhill on Sunday.

Seven days previously he had suffered the anguish of driving his horse box from his base near Rugby in Warwickshire to Higham, near Colchester; deciding that the ground there was too fast; re-routing the box to another meeting up in Nottinghamshire only to suffer a puncture en route and spending a fruitless afternoon waiting to be rescued at Cambridge Services.

Things went much more smoothly this time around, as the Ellis box arrived safely and a trio of its occupants won the first three races.

For the opening two successes he teamed up with his wife, the reigning National Champion Lady Rider, Gina Andrews, to land the Intermediate Race with Total Compliance and the Young Horse Maiden with the debutant Itsnonofurbusiness.

The quickfire Ellis treble was secured when Roberto Pegasus, given a beautifully-judged waiting ride by Kate Gowing, landed a snug one length success in a 17-runner Novice Riders Race.

Steeplechasing can be a cruel sport, and what should have been a memorable day turned sour for Tom and Gina when Bilbrook Blaze, their runner in the closing Older Horse Maiden, suffered a broken shoulder in a fall at the fourth last, marring a race won by the Kent raider, West Lake.

Another East Anglian jockey in the spotlight was George Greenock, from Fakenham in Norfolk, who landed the highest quality race of the afternoon, the Men’s Open, aboard Empire Builder.

Top Smart, another visitor from Northamptonshire, also completed a four-timer in the Ladies Open, this time getting the better of the Ellis/Andrews representative, Vedetarriat.

Gina also had to be content with a minor role in the 17-runner Restricted Race, finishing third aboard Cresta One, but she at least had the consolation of a good view as her younger brother, Jack Andrews, landed the spoils aboard the highly promising Neumond.