FOLLOWING sterling efforts from ground staff, racegoers were rewarded with local winners at Hereford Racecourse's Christmas Jumper raceday.

It started with a win for TB Broke Her in the opening three mile one furlong Handicap chase for Eastnor trainer Matt Sheppard.

Making his stable debut, the seven year old, ridden by Sheppard's son Stan, took full advantage of his light weight and swept to the lead at the penultimate fence from long tome leader Sonoftheking to win smoothly by nine lengths.

Nicky Sheppard was on duty because Matt was saddling a runner at Cheltenham and with owner, Will Gaskins said: “Old friend JD Moore phoned us and said he had a horse to win a race for us and all we needed was the owner – which we had waiting.

"Will rides her out at home whenever he can.”

Winning jockey Stan Sheppard added: “I’ve winged two out and it’s been hands and heels from then on and she’s done it well."

The Venetia Williams trained Achille was sent off 15/8 favourite to give the Kings Caple trainer another winner in the two-mile-five-furlong handicap chase but was always struggling in the six runner field behind the front-running Spock ridden by local amateur Lorna Brooke.

As the field approached the penultimate fence, Shanty Town was the only danger to the leader.

But a mistake there handed the initiative back to Spock who responded well.

Another smooth jump at the last sealed the race for Brooke who won by a length and a quarter.

Owner and trainer Lady Sue Brooke said that their pre-race worries over the ground and distance were all nothing and she paid tribute to her new all-weather gallop, 'snow', which the horse had enjoyed in recent days.

Williams later had compensation on the card as her Yalltari made a smooth handicap debut in the two-mile handicap hurdle in the hands of rider Charlie Deutsch winning smoothly by seven lengths at 9/2 and should follow up again.

Jockey Bryan Cooper has suffered a frustrating time over the past weeks as the newly appointed stable jockey to late owners Alan and Ann Potts.

He has has high profile falls and injuries and his cause was not helped in the two-mile-three furlong novice hurdle aboard the 1/4 favourite Vision Des Flos from the yard of Colin Tizzard.

The ex-French £270,000 purchase seemed to be hard pressed to put the race to bed as the 7/1 Paisley Park was a persistent challenger.

But the favourite held a slight advantage at the final hurdle only to make a mistake and give Cooper no chance to recover momentum and Paisley Park came home a seven length winner.

In-form trainer Nigel Twiston-Davies always likes to have a winner at his previous local track and his Topofthecotswolds was sent off 5/4 favourite to oblige.

But the presence of London based retired ex-Daily Telegraph racing editor Tony Stafford, now racing manager to owner Raymond Tooth, was a tip in itself for the owners runner in the concluding Bumper race, Apres Deluge.

Ridden by Andrew Tinkler, Apres Deluge showed a fine turn of foot to lead into the final furlong before winning by three-and-three-quarter lengths from the favourite.