CROWDS packed into Chaddesley Corbett's Harkaway point-to-point meeting as the fixture beat the cold snap last Friday.

Conditions were testing but the meeting attracted plenty of runners that resulted in two races being divided on the day and a total of 109 horses facing the starter.

Callum Bickers-Price had a day to remember with the 20-year-old Bromyard rider scoring his first success on Crowded Room in the novice riders' event.

Bickers Price is employed by Abberley based National Hunt trainer Henry Oliver but also has a small team of horses which he prepares for point-to-pointing. His initial efforts at race riding were cut short after just two rides last year after he suffered a head injury which resulted in eight months on the side lines.

Crowded Room was sent to the front just before halfway and quickly opened up a useful lead. The remainder of the runners were obviously expecting him to tire in the stamina sapping conditions but with a mile to run Crowded Room was still extending his advantage.

The 11-year-old went further clear up the final hill and turned for home with an unassailable lead and won by 25-lengths despite being eased down dramatically in the final 100 yards.

Bickers-Price recalled afterwards: "We acquired him for 1,200gns after he ran 31 times in Ireland for just eight placings. Nobody else wanted him. He has a few quirks but jumps like a stag. I’m not the most stylish but to win by 25-lengths in testing ground in a 16-runner field, I’m over the moon with the horse and I cannot thanks every enough who has helped me get to where I am today."

Having suffered several reversals earlier in the day, Phil Rowley and Alex Edwards finally got their names on the score sheets following Battle Dusts success in the men’s open.

The winner was in training with Kim Bailey under rules but had struggled over the last couple of seasons so the owners decided racing between the flags was more beneficial and sent him to Phil Rowley’s stable at Bridgnorth.

Eastnor trainer Nickie Sheppard saddled Ballycahane in the concluding three-mile maiden and the eight-year-old rewarded connections by providing young Milo Herbert with his second winner.

The first two races on the card, the restricted and two-and-a-half mile maiden required division on the day after the safety limit had been exceeded.

Division One of the restricted went to the Welsh raider Bleu Et Or, who had been pulled up on his seasonal debut a few weeks earlier.

There were excuses for that, however, as part owner Maurice Seabourn explained later. “He had 18 months off the course and just blew up on his reappearance. I live near Chaddesley Corbett and walked the course several times in the lead up to the meeting and did not think conditions were that bad. We were not sure the horse would like the ground but he had the best conditions because it was the first race on the card.”

The winner (pictured) was given a brilliant ride by Hannah Lewis who had the horse at the forefront of affairs from the start and sent Bleu Et Or into a clear lead before the partnership made a shuddering error at the last. They recovered quickly and had sufficient in reserve to see off the renewed challenge of Champione on the flat.

Lewis was also seen to great effect later in the afternoon when War Path outstayed some better fancied rivals to land the condition under the Upton-upon-Severn based rider.

Local successes were thin in the ground as evidenced by Hindlip trainer Tom Weston who saddled runners in both divisions of the maiden with both coming second Twotwothree led from flagfall in Division One and only The Late Legend was able to offer token opposition in the home straight but his challenge was quickly dismissed as the winner sprinted clear for an 8-length success.

Things were much closer in Division Two where three horses, Mistercobar, Tucks Bergen and Iwasthefutureonce turned for home with equal chances. They rose as one at the second last, but the former buckled over on landing which left the two remaining runners to battle it out for the honours.

Both gave their all but the Welsh challenger secured a narrow lead at the final obstacle which he clung on valiantly to all the way up the run in.

Jockey Lorcan Williams had scored earlier in the afternoon on Winterberry in Division Two of the restricted. The Robert Luke trained gelding outstayed their rivals on the flat to prevail by a length.

Top Wood and Gina Andrews showed their rivals a clean pair of heels in the Ladies Open. Kim Smyly’s runner, Mon Parrain, was partnered by Paige Fuller and she was determined the favourite would not have things all his own way.

They had a ding dong battle until Mon Parrain began to beat a retreat after jumping the third from home. The leader had the race in safe keeping over the final two fences, while Mon Parrain held on bravely to deprive Global Power of the runner-up spot.