ERIC ELLIOTT, a barrister who owns and trains a handful of horses under permit at Rushyford, near Newton Aycliffe, was rewarded for his patience when Place Above won at Sedgefield yesterday.

"I bought Place Above in Ireland and we always knew he had a real engine. But the horse had so many problems that last year I sent him to the Animal Health Trust in Newmarket for a complete once over," said Elliott.

"It was very expensive, but it was worth every penny because they diagnosed that the trouble was in a foot and advised us exactly how to deal with it."

A win between the flags at Witton Castle during the winter was proof the money had been well spent, and Place Above confirmed that opinion with a bloodless 21-length success in the Ken Bright Memorial Steeplechase.

Lady luck was again on the side of National Lottery winners Terry Benson and Roy Gibney, who greeted their respective horses, Iberus and County Classic, with broad grins in the winners' circle.

Iberus was the first to strike with a comfortable all-the-way success in the Lady Amateur Riders Hurdle. The ex-German six-year-old was steered to victory by Lucy Gardner, better known in the point-to-point sphere, in which she has booted home 38 winners.

Louth-in-Lincolnshire trainer Steve Gollings, responsible for Iberus, was delighted with Lucy, who was claiming her fourth victory under Rules.

"That will have given Iberus a great confidence booster. He likes to do things his own way, so we decided to change tactics and let him bowl along in front and it worked, revealed Gollings.

The other lottery benefactor, Beverley-based Benson, has County Classic housed with Tim Easterby, who was represented at the meeting by his father, Peter.

"County Classic is as hard-as-nails. I bred her myself, she's out of Cumbrian Rhapsody, who finished fourth in the Ebor and was also a pretty good jumper," said Easterby.

Ferdy Murphy made it 22 wins for the campaign when Hot Weld and Garde Bien completed a short-priced double.

Hot Weld galloped his rivals senseless in the marathon three-mile-three-furlong Bet 365 Novices Hurdle, while Garde Bien easily disposed of the opposition in the closing Calverts Carpets Novices Chase.

"The handicapper has Hot Weld rated far too high, so he'll have to go for another race like this carrying a penalty. In any case, he's only marking time over hurdles because he's is every-inch a staying chaser in the making," explained a jubilant Ferdy.

* Le Seychellois has already been mentioned in early Cheltenham Festival despatches and the four-year-old did nothing to dampen that enthusiasm with an impressive chasing debut at Warwick yesterday, writes TATTENHAM.

Trainer Paul Nicholls is now considering the Henry VIII Chase at Sandown on Saturday week for a horse who looks like he can only improve.

He had been in company with market rival Val Du Don until that one made a serious mistake at the third-last in the Highflyer Bloodstock Four Year Old Novices Chase. Ruby Walsh did not have to go through the gears on the 8-13 favourite to go easily clear and had eight lengths to spare at the line.

Nicholls said: ''He got low at a couple of fences but he was brilliant at the others. He is a horse with a serious engine and he can only improve.

''He is blowing plenty now but that was the idea and now we will look at the Henry VIII Chase at Sandown.

''He is a horse who is still learning. He has not been in as long as some of the others as he was gelded soon after joining us and we gave him plenty of time.''

Another with a Festival target is Lady Zephyr, the easy winner of the EBF Mares' Only ''National Hunt'' Novices' Hurdle (Qualifier).

Apart from the final at this series at Newbury, trainer Nigel Twiston-Davies will also look at the Royal & SunAlliance Novices Hurdle for the six-year-old.

Leading approaching the second-last, Lady Zephyr (11-10) showed the step up in trip held no fears and was eased at the line by Carl Llewellyn.

Twiston-Davies said: ''She is a lovely horse and I was surprised to hear people knocking her before the race. "