WE were delighted to welcome trainer Tom Gretton as a race sponsor to Worcester last week for the first time.

The Inkberrow trainer has been running his horses at the course over the summer and kindly agreed to sponsor the two-mile handicap chase in aid of the Surrey-based Racehorse Sanctuary.

The race turned into a well-supported local affair with six of the 11 horses trained within an hour’s radius of Worcester.

The winner Bandol is an eight-year old gelding owned and trained at Abberley by former jump jockey Henry Oliver.

The winning pointer had his first two runs under rules in bumpers at Worcester in 2012 and 2013 when trained by Laura Young.

The second-placed horse Deise Vu is trained by Roy Brotherton at Pershore and has finished consistently in third place on his four previous outings, including at Pitchcroft in July.

A new lady trainer was granted her full licence two weeks ago.

Former manager of Hereford Racecourse and Bath clerk of the course Katie Stephens’ first runner as a fully-fledged trainer was at Worcester with Zero Visibility, who finished third in the opening handicap chase.

Another local story to emerge in the week was the excellent run by Gas Line Boy in the Kerry National at Listowel.

Alvechurch-based Ian Williams sent his eight-year-old over to Ireland as the only British raider in the race.

The horse made most of the running in testing ground under Tom Scudamore and finished a creditable third despite making a few jumping errors.

Having fallen in the Crabbies Grand National in 2015 when trained by Philip Hobbs, Gas Line Boy then had a spell with Jim Best before moving to Williams’ yard in the spring this year, where he appears to be flourishing.

Richard Johnson and Tim Vaughan teamed up for a quick-fire double in the opening two handicap chases at Pitchcroft last week.

The results moved Johnson up to second place behind Aidan Coleman in the Worcester jockey table with Sam Twiston-Davies six points behind.

The trainer table has never been more competitive.

Just nine points and less than one win separates the first six names — Philip Hobbs, Jonjo O’Neill, Dan Skelton, Nicky Henderson, Neil Mulholland and David Pipe.

As there are only two meetings left this season, it is impossible to predict how these two contests will finish.

Owner JP McManus is 24 points clear of his nearest rival in the owner’s championship.

Favourites Racing are the syndicate attached to the yard of Hanley Swan trainer David Dennis.

Both owners have been fantastic supporters of the course with their runners throughout the summer, as well as in previous years.

The gates open for the popular Worcester annual raceday in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support at 12.20pm tomorrow.