TOM Ellis broke his own record for number of winners in a season in the trainers' championship when Master Templar triumphed at the Warwickshire meeting at Mollington, near Banbury, in front of a big Bank Holiday Monday crowd.
Ellis had eclipsed last year's tally of 62 for the campaign when Pass The Glass won at Dingley on Sunday.
But with Dundrum Wood's walkover at Edgcote last month not counting towards the championship, it was Master Templar's victory in a match for the Butler Sherborn Warwickshire Hunt Members, Subscribers & Farmers Race which saw him set a new mark in the trainers' standings.
With Jack Andrews taking over the reins on the eight-year-old from his sister, Gina, as he chases the men's riders' championship, the Jenny Hayward-owned eight-year-old made the running before Largy Mountain jumped ahead at the fourth-last under James King. However, Andrews galvanised his mount on the run-in to claim the spoils by two-and-a-quarter lengths.
Ellis, who is based at Marton, near Rugby, said: "I was dreading today. This meeting has been very good to us and very bad. I broke my leg here in 2015 and that was the end of my riding career.
"I view that as the record. It is nice to do it here on home soil."
Master Templar has contributed four wins this term, and the trainer added: "He keeps plenty back for himself and is not an easy ride, so I am lucky with the two pilots we have and some brilliant novices coming through behind them."
Ellis had trained and ridden Stormy Pass to take this contest at Ashorne in 2006 for Hayward, who commented: "When we were younger to win the hunt race was the highlight of the year and it's still the same."
Aston Rowant handler Alan Hill landed a double courtesy of Diplomate Sivola and Getting Closer.
With all four riders reluctant to make the running in the Ray Randerson Carpets Mixed Open it was left to Champagne Noir and Ellie Holder to lead at a pedestrian pace.
However, they were joined by Getting Closer over the last two fences and it was Izzie Marshall's mount who prevailed by a neck with Ballinagore two-and-a-half lengths back in third.
Getting Closer has been a model of consistency for the Three Off The Tee partnership headed by George Cranfield, with Hill saying: "That is his 14th run in a point-to-point for us and he has never been out of the first two. I would nearly put that as a career-best - definitely on the quality he has beaten."
Hill's double was initiated by Diplomate Sivola, who gave Ben Sutton a first point-to-point winner of the season in a match for the Retraining of Racehorses and Jockey Club Veteran Horse Conditions Race (Level 2).
Sutton, who has been making his mark under rules notably on Santos Blue, tracked Raven's Tower as Elliott England's mount set a brisk pace.
And it was Diplomate Sivola's greater staying power which won the day as the 10-year-old, owned by Sutton's father, Nick, collared last year's winner on the run-in to score by eight lengths.
The winner is now bound for the Goffs UK Doncaster Sales on May 24-25, and Ben said: "He has a heart of a lion. That could be my final ride on him, so it's good to bow out on a winner."
Hill added: "This horse has been a great servant to the Suttons. He was a major contributor to Ben being novice champion and has run consistently since. He will make a cracking novice riders' ride. His jumping is awesome."
Robert Waley-Cohen produced a fine training performance to take the Newbury Commercial Glazing PPORA Club Members Maiden with his home-bred mare Chabichou Dupoitou, who had been brought back from illness and injury.
Early drama in the 2m 4f contest saw three of the six runners exit at the third fence, but the seven-year-old daughter of Martaline avoided the trouble before hitting the front at the third-last under James King and galloped home by 11 lengths from Dunworley and Charlie Case.
Waley-Cohen, whose nearby Upton Viva Stud were recording their first winner since Maitree Express took the hunt race here last year, said: "She had a twisted gut, had surgery for that, and cracked her pelvis twice, so we have had to be quite patient. It has taken time, but she has come good at our home course."
Bred out of his mare, Tidara Angel, he explained how Chabichou Dupoitou was named, saying: "She has this rather strange colouring and my wife, Felicity, says she reminds her of the rind of a goat's cheese from Aquitaine being a grey with brown flecks."
King commented: "It's been a huge mission by Kate (Humphreys), Robert and everyone to get her here. It's great to ride another winner for him."
With Good ground, the seven races attracted 37 runners and produced a series of exciting finishes.
Due Reward led the way with a head victory under Gina Andrews in the opening HFN Landscapes Eight Years Old and Over Conditions Race (Level 2).
Pulled up in a Ludlow hunters' chase on an easy surface last time, the Kelly Morgan-trained 10-year-old found conditions to his liking in this 2m 4f contest, taking up the running on the final circuit before holding off the persistent challenge of Give Us A Swig and Cian Murphy.
With Morgan at Witton Castle, her mother, Carol Morgan, and the 12-strong Snail Partnership greeted their winner, who was bought for £9,500 out of Charlie Longsdon's yard at the Goffs UK Doncaster Sales last August.
Carol, whose daughter trains at Waltham on the Wolds, near Melton Mowbray, said: "He is a little horse who wants decent ground and hasn't had it this year. Gina gave him a brilliant ride. There is no-one better in a finish."
Andrews added: "He was very game because I was headed at the last. He got a good jump, battled back and stuck his neck out well."
Chloe East was all smiles after riding her second winner on Cobra de Mai in the F. N. Pile & Son PPORA Club Members Conditions Race (Level 3) for Veteran and Novice Riders.
She had got off the mark on the 11-year-old at Didmarton in March, and they struck again by making virtually all the running before holding off Touch Tight and Phil York by a length and a quarter with Supreme Johnson a length away in third.
Cobra de Mai is officially owned and trained by her father, Ricky, but it's his 19-year-old daughter who does much of the work with the horse at Anna Brooks's Alderton yard, near Towcester.
Chloe, who works for Billy Aprahamian, said: "He is so game. When we got him off Caroline Bailey the first thing she said was he will be competitive, so I am very grateful to her. I am very lucky to have him."
Thetford trainer David Kemp and owner John Ridge look to have a useful prospect after Back It Up followed up his Higham maiden win by landing the Sir James Shuckburgh Bt. Restricted in good style.
Alex Chadwick sent the five-year-old to the head of affairs approaching the second-last and his mount strode clear to win by five lengths from Marton Abbey and Elliott England.
Kemp said: "He just keeps surprising us. We knew he needed time to fill out and strengthen up, so there was no point in rushing him. He jumps so well and there is tons of improvement."