Miranda wins it for her dad

THE father and daughter combination of John Coombe and Miranda Roberts teamed up to win the opening Somerset Long Barn Novices' Hurdle at Exeter yesterday.

Roberts made all the running on six-year-old San Marino, who had been off the track for 18 months with a cracked foot bone.

And Coombe said: "We knew he was well. He ran an extremely good race on his last start at Worcestershire and was just beaten by half a length. The race worked out perfectly for him as he can be headstrong.

"When we bought him we were told he couldn't jump and it took us a long time building up his confidence. It's the most settled he's been today."

Laura Young is enjoying a good run of form and added another win to her tally when Strategic Plan took the conditional jockeys' handicap hurdle under Andrew Glassonbury.

There were three in it coming over the final flight but Strategic Plan pulled away on the run in to score a half length success from Dontsayathing with the favourite Posh Emily in third. Young said: "He's such an awkward horse, only ever does steady work and lives on Horse and Pony nuts.

"We bought him at Ascot Sales in December last year and I'm the only one to ride him at home."

Expectations of Forest Pennant have now been raised following his win in the novices' steeple chase. Formerly a decent hurdler as a novice, the seven-year-old will now compete in much better races with something at the Cheltenham Festival the target.

Jackie Wingfield-Digby enjoyed her first win as an owner following the death of her husband Michael last year when Bertie May won the handicap steeple chase.

Richard's Sundance had unseated his rider at the final fence leaving Bertie May well clear and he came home the seven-length winner under Wayne Hutchinson.

Trainer Kevin Bishop said: "Michael would have been ecstatic today to win that."

RESULTS — 1.05 1 San Marino (Mrs M Roberts) 25-1 2 Song Sung Blue (J Tizzard) 11-10 Fav 3 Four Strong Winds (A P McCoy) 7-2 11 ran Also: 9-4 There's No Panic 4th

1.40 1 Forest Pennant (R Walsh) 5-6 Fav 2 Flight Leader (J Tizzard) 3-1 3 Mark The Book (R Flint) 9-2 4 ran Also: 17-2 Starburst Diamond 4th

2.15 1 Bertie May (W Hutchinson) 3-1 2 Irish Legend (Michael Murphy) 10-1 3 Stradbrook (A P McCoy) 4-1 6 ran Also: 5-2 Fav Gilsland, 11-2 American World 4th

2.50 1 Pavillon Bleu (R Flint) 7-1 2 Green Belt Elite (A Coleman) 7-2 Fav 3 Josear (S E Durack) 33-1 12 ran Also: 9-2 Ours 4th

3.25 1 Callerlilly (D R Dennis) 33-1 2 Alldunnandusted (Jimmy Derham) 5-1 3 Merry Music (Gerard Tumelty) 12-1 9 ran Also: 6-4 Fav Tara Taylor, 33-1 Tarabela 4th

4.0 1 Strategic Plan (A Glassonbury) 9-1 2 Dontsayathing (Harry Skelton) 13-2 3 Posh Emily (R Flint) 4-1 Fav 12 ran Also: 10-1 Nearly A Breeze 4th