Jevington trainer Mark Flower is in buoyant mood after four-year-old Mayzin fulfilled his potential with victory at Lingfield this week.

He said: "He has been the most consistent little horse. He has had eight races since the turn of the year and never been out of the first four."

Mayzin has now won more than £11,000 for his South Wales owner, Zoe Watkins, whose partner Kirk Bowen has had horses in Flower's Devonshire House Stables for some time.

Flower said: "When we got Mayzin last year he needed time to become accustomed to new surroundings and routine.

"Now he has become the perfect horse to train.

"He is very sound, very athletic and thrives on racing.

"When he gets home he licks out his feed bowl and in the morning he's calling out for his breakfast."

Flower endured some barren years following his best season five years ago when he had 19 winners, but is confident the show is back on the road.

On the same programme at Lingfield on Tuesday, two of the Devonshire House three-year-olds put in promising performances to finish fifth and sixth out of 11 in a six-furlong maiden race.

Simpsons Mount finished a neck in front of Sussex Style. Ryan Moore, who rode him, said: "He is inexperienced and ran very green, but I'm sure he will be useful when he learns what to do."

The horse, who is owned by the yard's sponsor, Chris Simpson's Classic Showers Company, has shown brilliant speed on the gallops at home and is likely to make a sprinter.

It was only his second race on Tuesday.

Flower said: "I promise you will see something when the penny drops."

Sussex Style also pleased his jockey, Fergus Sweeney. He is one of two horses, the other is un-named, in the Sussex Racing Syndicate. The syndicate has four remaining shares available out of the original 20. Both horses will be running on turf now the season has started.

Flower is looking forward to visiting Doncaster in two weeks time for the breeze-up sales when horses to be auctioned are seen in action, galloping in pairs on the racetrack.

It is a system which started in Australia and is very popular with trainers.

The horses are mostly un-named and unraced two-year-olds and Chris Simpson and Martin Lickert, a long-time Devonshire House supporter, are hoping something will catch their eye.

Meanwhile, qualified equine therapist, Alyson Flower, Mark's wife and assistant trainer, is kept busy.

She said: "I do deep tissue and remedial massage by hand and I also have a laser machine which I sometimes use.

"There has been quite a lot of work lately which helps keep the wolf from the door.

"But we're all hoping racing will really pick up this year.

"There are some nice horses in the yard and a good spirit about the place."

Last week was one to remember for Woodingdean trainer Gary Moore.

He saddled Tikram to win the Mildmay of Flete Chase at the Cheltenham National Hunt Festival on Wednesday and on Saturday took the award for leading trainer on the all-weather surface at Lingfield.

Moore said: "Tikram's win gave me more pleasure than any of my three group race winners on the flat."

Ian Mongan, who began his racing career with Moore as an amateur, won the National Championship for all-weather jockeys and Eamon Dehdashti, who is still part of the Ingleside Stables team, won the Amateurs' Championship.

Moore's 14 Lingfield winners earned just over £80,000 at a strike rate of ten per cent.

Mongan, who rode for trainer Nick Littmoden, will be in the saddle for Michael Bell this year. He began his career as an amateur with Moore at Woodingdean.