THE Sally Alner-trained Master Medic extended his unbeaten run to eight in the Royal Artillery Ladies’ Open at Larkhill.

The 13-year-old led three out before holding off persistent challenger Latest Trend (Bridget Andrews), who jumped the last upsides.

“He’s like a fine wine, he just keeps getting better with age,” smiled jockey Emily MacMahon.

“I worked out the other day that Master Medic, Sally and I have a combined age of over 100, so it’s not bad for three oldies.”

The win was the first leg of a double for Alner, completed by Garstin in the Intermediate, which was run in a hailstorm.

Garstin was a first UK point-to-point winner for Paul Nicholls’ employee Andrew Doyle to add to his 25 Irish pointing wins, four Irish Rules successes and a Madrid flat race win when representing Ireland in the 2009 FEGENTRI series.

Minella Stars, owned and trained at Shaftesbury by Winc-anton racecourse chairman Guy Henderson and ridden by son Robbie, got the better of Duc De Regniere in a slow-motion finish to the Men’s Open.

The eight-year-old has now won two of his four points since being bought privately out of Paul Nicholls’ yard in July.

“He lives with the cattle, goes hunting once a week, does dressage twice a week and his fast work on Caroline Keevil’s Lar-kinglass gallops,” summed up Henderson. “Our plan is to take it one race at a time.”

Theatre Queen emerged as a leading candidate for the Coro-nation Gold Cup on February 8 after her impressive Conditions race success.

The seven-year-old made most of the running under trainer Mark Wall before sprinting clear in the straight.

Theatre Queen has now won four races and suffered her only defeat when third after starting slowly and losing 30 lengths at Wadebridge in Dec-ember.

Paul Barber and David Mar-tin’s five-year-old debutant Ask The Weatherman overcame a last-fence stumble to take the first Maiden for the Richard Barber stable.

“It’s been a learning curve for him, but he’s gutsy, jumps well and will come on a ton for the race,” reported his clearly impressed jockey Will Bidd- ick.

Cottenham runner-up Cold Knight went one better to provide a first Larkhill success for trainer-rider Tom Weston in the second Maiden.

Jack Barber, 22, notched his first training win when partnering Subtle Sovereign to success in the third Maiden.

The grey is owned by Jack, Len Vickery and David Bennett.

A former pony race rider with more than 50 career wins in point-to-points and under Rules, Barber has 14 horses at his parents’ Jeremy and Sarah’s Henley home near Crewkerne.

Harriet Besent returned from a nine-month absence to retain the Hunt race trophy aboard Deimne.