A HEREFORDSHIRE trainer took victory in one of horse racing’s biggest meetings.

The Grand National may have gone to Ireland with I Am Maximus but local trainer Tom Lacey and jockey Stan Sheppard struck at Aintree on National day with the win of Cruz Control in the three-mile Handicap Chase.

Owned by local Herefordshire farmers John Chinn and Frank Green, Cruz Control made all the running against his 12 rivals in the valuable Handicap Chase, worth £56,000 to the winner.

Cruz Control stayed on strongly when challenged over the final three fences for Sheppard to take the honours at 9/1; recording Sheppard’s 36th winner of the year and Lacey’s 34th.

Trainer Nicky Henderson has had a very contrasting season, with the disappointments of the Cheltenham festival relieved recently by success at Aintree.

He saddled another possible prospect for the future at Hereford Racecourse on Sunday with the win of Montecam in the two-mile three-and-a-half furlong maiden hurdle.

Ridden by jockey Nico de Boinville, Montecam was sent off 2/5 favourite after two previous placed runs in hurdle races, and after a 77-day absence he took a strong hold from the start of the 10 runner race.

Allowed by de Bojnville to stride clear of his rivals the five-year-old son of Camelot was dominant and despite a valiant effort by eventual runner-up Miss Maverick, Montecam had a clear four lengths winning victory.

Trainer Harriet Dickin has inherited a number of horses from the yard of ex-trainer Milton Harris and one of those, Legionar made it two wins since joining when landing the two-mile three-and-a-half furlong handicap hurdle and Dickin believes there is further potential in the six-year-old.

He struck narrowly at Ludlow on his stable debut this month and given a typically positive ride by title chasing jockey Harry Cobden, Legionar stayed on well to win at Hereford by two and three-quarter lengths from Playtogtaway.

Commenting after the race Dickin said: "We were hopeful he'd run well, We don't know him that well still, but he's bounced back well and he was always doing enough at Ludlow, so we were reasonably hopeful. He's a little idle in front but Harry's given him a super ride.”

The win completed a double for Cobden, who earlier in the afternoon had struck for his retained stable of Paul Nicholls on the odds-on favourite Insurrection in the two-mile novice hurdle.

Meanwhile, it was deja-vu for racegoers as local owner-trainer Clive Boultbee-Brookes was back in the winner’s enclosure at Hereford Racecourse last week when his El Granjero scored for the second meeting running.

El Granjero knuckled down well and stayed on well under Sheppard to win by six lengths from Kerry Lee trained Cabhfuingi, with the Henry Daly trained Petty Cash a further three lengths away in third place.