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Treble on sad day for Knight

Henrietta Knight sent out a 36-1 treble at Kempton today, but the trainer and the thoughts of those close to her were elsewhere.

Knight`s 80-year-old mother Hester died following a fall at her home near Wantage in the morning. The trainer stayed at her mother`s side in hospital, not travelling to watch Stars Of The Night, Red Blazer and Maximise continue the excellent form of the stable`s horses in the hands of jockey Jim Culloty.

After Maximise, owned by Knight`s sister Lady Vestey, had made all to beat odds-on Frosty Canyon by seven lengths in the EBF Novices Chase, the trainer`s husband, Terry Biddlecombe, said: 'It`s all a bit emotional. It`s an old day to end up with. It`s a funny old game - downs and lows, and then here we`re all coming out on top. You`ve got to keep going forward.

'They`re all sat at home watching it and life goes on. I can`t think of anything else to say.'

Knight`s favourite horse, Red Blazer, whom she owns in partnership with Biddlecombe, had produced an exemplary display of jumping to land his first success over fences at the relatively advanced age of 10 in the Pierre Charles Le Metayer Memorial Novices Chase.

It was the first time Knight had failed to be in attendance when Red Blazer has run.

The stable treble had been initiated by Stars Out Tonight, who rallied to beat fellow 6-5 joint favourite Deep Sunset by a length and a half in the Cadogan Charity EBF `National Hunt` Novices Hurdle.

Bouchasson, a promising novice over fences two years ago, bounced back to form when coming from an apparently hopeless position to take the Heathorns Bookmakers Handicap Chase.