Several Sussex trainers have had to be patient over the last few months in their search for winners.

At last it was the turn of Mark Flower to saddle his first winner of the season when Mayzin scored at Lingfield last Saturday.

Like most of the smaller trainers, in terms of number of horses, Mark is doing his best with either cast-offs from bigger stables or inexpensive unraced horses bought at the auction sales.

Mayzin, in the former category, is a four-year-old who arrived at Devonshire House, Jevington, last August in a fairly scruffy condition.

"He had some problems when he arrived but with a little TLC we got him ready to run by late Autumn," said Mark.

"Now he has run six times and not been out of the first four so I wasn't surprised when he won last week."

With the resulting six pound penalty, Mayzin returned to Lingfield four days later and carrying 10st 1lb was beaten only a head by Kinsman who caused mayhem coming from the back of the field. Popular opinion is that Kinsman should have been disqualified.

An enquiry was called immediately, but for some reason it was followed by the statement 'this will not affect the result.'

An appeal against the stewards' decision to allow the result to stand is on the cards and as Kinsman's rider, Jean-Pierre Guillambert, was given a two day suspension, this lends weight to the possibility of Kinsman being disqualified and placed behind any horses with which he may have interfered.

There are currently 18 horses in the Devonshire House stables, including several un-raced three-year-olds. One of that age group who has had a couple of runs, both over six furlongs, is Sussex Style and he tackles one mile for the first time at Lingfield tomorrow.

"This is one of the Sussex Racing Syndicate horses and I think a lot of him," said Mark. "He will certainly appreciate the longer distance and I'm expecting a good run from him tomorrow."

Flower has booked the top-class Irish jockey Eddie Ahern for Sussex Style and Ahern will also partner Simpson's Mount in the five furlong maiden event which opens the programme.

"This horse is named after Chris Simpson whose company Classic Showers Limited sponsors my horse box which is painted in his blue and white colours." said Mark.

"Simpson's Mount was a late foal - he was born in June - and this means that he is not yet two years old. Having said that, he is ready for a run and we'll know a good deal more after the race."

David Oughton, the Sussex-born and bred trainer now based in Hong Kong, won the important Hong Kong Exchange Challenge Cup at Happy Valley with Magic Hands on Wednesday.

Magic Hands was partnered by Mick Kinane, with whom the trainer has formed a highly successful association.

Kinane won the £1.3m Hong Kong Cup on Precision for the Oughton stable in December 2002.

Kinane is in Hong Kong until the end of March and will be hoping to win the Hong Kong Derby on March 21 on the Oughton-trained Roosevelt who was third in last year's Irish Derby.

Narwhal's victory at Sandown last Saturday was especially sweet for Findon trainer Nick Gifford.

It was his first success away from his local track at Fontwell where he has scored four wins since he took over the licence from his father Josh last May.

It was also a welcome victory for jockey Philip Hide who has only just returned to the fray after a month off with a damaged shoulder.

At Ascot the previous weekend Gifford was definitely unlucky not to win the two mile National Hunt flat race with Senor Sedona. Well ridden by top conditional James Davies, Senor Sedona was challenging the eventual winner, Historic Place, when that horse hung left in the straight and forced Davies to switch his mount very suddenly. In doing so Senor Sedona stumbled, but even so he was only beaten a length.

After an enquiry the stewards allowed the result to stand - wrongly in my opinion, especially as Historic Place's rider, Tom Best, was suspended for two days for careless riding.

However, Narwhal made up for that loss and the Gifford horses continue to be in form.

At Newbury tomorrow the expensive Joly Bey starts his trek towards Aintree's Topham Trophy Chase with a run in a three mile handicap hurdle.

"David Dunsdon, his owner, will ride him and if he runs well then we may go for the Coral Hurdle at Cheltenham next month," said Nick.

It may seem an unusual preparation for Aintree's unique fences, but Joly Bey was originally trained in France and he can adapt and jump whatever he's faced with.