Emma Bishop off the mark at Ludlow

For years, Cleeve Hill resounded to the sound of galloping horses in the early morningas local trainers Billy Grassick, owen o'Neill and Jim Wilson exercised their strings. But those three are long under the sod, and the last racehorses left the hill 2 years ago when James Grassick, youngest son of Billy, moved his string to Dragey-Ronthon, overlooking the Mont St Michel Bay. 

However, racing is not lost to the downs where Cheltenham horseracing made its name in the late 18th century. Emma-Jane Bishop trains a small string from Wickfield Stud, opposite the golf Clubhouse, with her own gallop running up from Cockbury back to the stud. 

Modern training methods mean the use of the grass gallops on the hill is now restricted to the odd pointer, and to hackers. But Bishop's select string is enjoying success from a small number of runners, most recently at Ludlow last Thursday.

A field of 7 for the catchily titled Ashbrook Plant & Hire Powered Access Novices Handicap Chase over the minimum trip might have constituted a locals party, as all but one of the field is trained within a 20 mile radius. This time around, it was Bishop's Haafback who prevailed by 3/4l over Kim Bailey's Gerard Mentor and Tom George's Dunstall Rambler.

By dint of her small volume of runners, Emma is rare among trainers in achieving a positive score on runs to a £1 stake. With only 4 runners to date this term, her 25% record is unrepresentative in such a small sample, but her srtike rate bears scryutiny against her better-known peer group.

She's definitely one to watch for, if only in the knowledge she is keeping the Cheltenham flag flying.