Sussex's racing contingent had a weekend to remember at the Cheltenham Festival trials meeting on Saturday.

Pulborough jockey Leighton Aspell was the star of the show when he partnered the gutsy Many Clouds to victory in the Betbright Cup.

The 2014 Grand National and Hennessey Gold Cup-winning rider, who told The Argus in December that last year was the “best ever”, continued his fine form when he steered the 4/1 chance home in heavy conditions.

Aspell took no prisoners as he elected to go toe-to-toe with Black Thunder from the start of the three-mile slog.

And when that rival cried enough, Many Clouds still had enough reserves to see off Smad Place (11/4) by a length and a quarter with Dynaste (5/2f) third.

Many Clouds was a 20/1 shot for the Cheltenham Gold Cup in March before the race. But his brave performance saw that price slashed to 12/1 no sooner than he entered the winner’s enclosure at the Gloucestershire course.

Aspell, 38, said: “It is really good to be back in the winner’s enclosure. I’ve had a few tinpot winners around here but never on a Saturday or at the festival.

“It is lovely to come in up that long walk and hear the applause. It would be super to lose that tag of no festival winners in the Gold Cup.”

Findon trainer Nick Gifford also found success with the improving Generous Ransom, who won the Timeform Novices' Handicap Chase at 6/1.

Gifford said: “He's still a raw horse. I want bring him back here in March so I brought him here to see if he could go left-handed and handle the undulations.

“The obvious race for him at the festival is the novice handicap chase on the first day.

"We'll see what the handicapper does. He ran off 128 there and will probably go up 6lb or 7lb. I've put him in the RSA, but that's a long shot.”

There was also positive news on Sussex’s star two-miler Sire De Grugy, who is working back from injury to defend his Queen Mother Champion Chase crown at the festival in March.

Talking after Sire completed a strong piece of work on Saturday morning, Horsham trainer Gary Moore said: “He was very good this morning. I was very pleased.

"It was a nice piece of work and what he did this morning compared to what he did on Wednesday - it was a hell of a lot better.

"We'll get a couple more bits of work into him in the next couple of weeks and hopefully he'll be ready for Newbury then."