LAST season’s champion trainer Alyson Malzard yesterday gave notice that she does not intend relinquishing her title by training three winners in front of a bumper Easter Monday crowd yesterday.

The feature race, for the On-Course Bookmakers Plate, went to Perfect Portrait who was taken into the lead early and was kept up to his work by Ross Studholme to hold off a sustained challenge from Catcando by a head.

Newcomer to the Island racing scene Tony Tie finished a further three lengths behind in third.

The front two were involved in a number of close finishes last season and on this form it appears that racegoers will be treated to more of the same this year.

Malzard had already taken the opening IRB Memorial Handicap Hurdle with her French import Rosa Sainte, sent off odds-on favourite.

She was settled at the back of the field for most of the two-mile trip by Adam Jones, happy to let Shinbang bowl along in front.

Jones finally allowed the grey mare to close on her two rivals with two jumps to take and after taking the lead just before the last she comfortably won by an easy looking three lengths.

Early season form can flatter to deceive but Rosa Sainte looks to be a useful recruit to the local racing scene.

See More Snow’s victory in the CI Racing and Hunt Club Handicap was a fine piece of training by Colin Macready.

The CI champion hurdler from two seasons ago was returning to the race course after a lengthy absence due to injury and jockey Alan Mackay took the nine-year-old into an early lead and was never headed, coasting to a 12 length success from Silver Silence.

The Supporters Handicap produced the shock of the afternoon when the Vicki Lucas-trained Groomsman led from pillar to post.

For most of the race the leader appeared to be acting as pacemaker for his more fancied stable companion Best Before, but as they passed the two furlong marker with the field closing Rachel Powell asked the four-year-old to find a little bit extra and he duly obliged to hold off Best Before by a length with Off Minor a further head back in third.

Those whose lucky pin selected the winner were rewarded with odds of 16/1 on the boards and 26/1 with the Tote.

Malzard and Studholme took the closing race of the afternoon when Regal Ali was produced with a late run on the outside to win by half a length in a driving finish from Returnofthefairy with Snow Lark the same distance back in third.

Trainers and horses head off to Guernsey for the next meeting on Monday 1 May before returning to race at Les Landes on Sunday 14 May.