TRAINER Rebecca Curtis is one short of equalling her best ever total after Will Kennedy helped Scoter Fontaine leave behind a succession of unconvincing form figures at Hereford.

Curtis, who is one of the rising young stars of the ranks, only saddled her first winner in 2008 but has multiplied her initial total many times over and now sits on 27 for the campaign.

Illustrious owner JP Mc- Manus is one of the notable clients of the former Welsh junior international showjumper, and Scoter Fontaine (9-2) was one of those to race in his green and gold colours in the Weatherbys Bank Novices’ Handicap Chase.

The six-year-old had fallen or unseated his rider on his last three starts, but Kennedy was a soothing new presence around the functional cityedge circuit.

Kennedy had also deputised for McManus’ sidelined jockey Tony McCoy to great effect on another Curtis runner with jumping issues on Made In Time at Taunton earlier this month, and persuaded Scoter Fontaine to treat the fences with a little more respect.

Get It On got a little closer to him at the last but finished five lengths adrift.

‘‘He’s just been a bit unlucky as he’s always had ability and schools very well,’’ said Curtis.

‘‘He’s French-bred and can just be a bit low over his fences.

‘‘I’m very pleased with how everything is going. That’s our 27th winner, which is one off our best total last year, and hopefully we’ll get the next one soon.’’ Horses of Festival calibre were distinctly thin on the ground, especially as last year’s Champion Bumper runner-up Destroyer Deployed proved an abject disappointment in only finishing fourth in the BetVictor.com Maiden Hurdle.

This enabled Paul Rich, a former permit holder who has excelled with Minortransgression on the allweather this winter, to celebrate a very rare jumping winner.

Sent off at 9-2 after a few decent showings this season, Sainglend was given a fine ride by Brendan Powell and kept half a length up his sleeve over Mystic Appeal.

‘‘I can’t remember the last one,’’ said Rich, who took over Sean Curran’s base, Grey Fox Stables near Lambourn, last May, and is assisted by the ex-trainer as well as Sally Randell.

‘‘All I want is for the horses to run to the best of their ability and Brendan got his tactics spot on. He found a bit of faster ground and it paid off.’’ Powell added another in a wider-margin fashion for his father and namesake aboard 25-1 poke Ophelia’s Kiss in the Best Odds Guaranteed At BetVictor.com Handicap Hurdle.

Brendan Powell, trainer, said: ‘‘She ran all right in a couple of novices but came back with very sore shins last time and I had her fired. She’s a bit stronger now.’’ Tour d’Argent made those who took his odds of 4-11 sweat a little before he conquered Monte Cavallo at the final flight of the Weatherbys Bloodstock Insurance Novices’ Hurdle.

Ben Pauling, assistant trainer to Nicky Henderson, said: ‘‘He did everything very easily at Doncaster last time and I think that was a good run under a penalty.”