BYTON trainer Kerry Lee struck for the second week running at Hereford Racecourse on Wednesday when her Greenrock Abbey won the two-mile novices handicap chase in the hands of jockey Richard Patrick.

Sent off 2/1 favourite Greenrock Abbey was always travelling well just behind the leaders in the seven-runner race but when School for Scandal went a length up at the final fence it seemed for a stride or two he might have to give best, but Patrick timed his challenge to perfection and the partnership led in the final 100 yards to score by a neck.

The opening two mile three-and-a-half-furlong novice hurdle saw a runner from top Irish trainer Gordon Elliott in the field and his Caldwell Diamond was duly sent off 10/11 favourite despite his trainers worries over the rain softened ground.

The fears were justified as his runner duly dropped away tamely at the third last hurdle and Theatre Man comfortably won by 12 lengths.

The six-year-old, had finished behind a subsequent Grade two winner Hermes Allen on his previous start and the value of that form was confirmed as Theatre Man led from start to finish under jockey David Bass.

Bandey said: "It was a really pleasing performance and we’ve put the form of the Stratford run when he finished second to Hermes Allen behind him.”

"We might look at the EBF Final, but I’m not experienced enough yet in my training career to plot out the next step, so we'll take it race by race.”

It was the first leg of a 70/1 double for Bass as he later partnered the Kim Bailey-trained Party Fuzz to a surprise 18/1 win in the extended three-mile handicap chase again thwarting the Gordon Elliott runner Walking The Walk and his rider Denis O’ Regans who is attempting to ride a winner at every track in the UK and Ireland.

Bass always had his mount close at hand and led at the second last fence before staying on well to deny the Irish runner by one and a half lengths.

Champion trainer Paul Nicholls also celebrated a double at the course after his Beau Balko justified favouritism in the two-novice hurdle, denying the Lee trained Atlanta Brave by three-quarters of a length before his Ioupy Collonges landed the bumper in determined fashion from the very promising debutant Goonhilly trained by Hindlip trainer Tom Weston by a head.