Sussex trainers won five out of nine races at the Charing point-to-point fixture.

It was the first of a dozen meetings within a 50-mile radius of Brighton between now and mid-May.

Nick Gifford, training nine horses next door to father Josh at Findon, sent out Belvento and Lordston to score under Fegentri Championship runner-up David Dunsdon. Frazer Island, ridden by Alex Embericos, also won.

Gifford said: "Funnily enough of my five runners at Charing, the one I fancied most was Dramatic Approach.

"David was unseated at halfway, but made up for it on the other two."

Nick was particularly pleased with Frazer Island, who used to be trained by Richard Rowe but had lost his enthusiasm for racing altogether.

Gifford said: "I went down to the start to make certain he jumped off okay. He seemed fine and Alex gave him a very good ride indeed.

"He finished fourth four years ago over the National fences at Aintree, so I may run him in the Foxhunters there in April if his renewed zest for racing is maintained."

Lordston will eventually go back to Josh to race under National Hunt rules, but this season he will continue in point-to-point races.

His owner, John Plackett, feels the six-year-old will benefit from the experience over the easier fences and he is a horse who has still to develop physically.

Dramatic Approach, also owned by Plackett, is the horse Nick Gifford is most excited about.

He said: "This is a serious horse. He's normally a good jumper and although inexperienced he is progressive.

"Mr Plackett is keen for him to go to Cheltenham and I think the horse would be capable of putting up a very good performance there, so it is important that I get him qualified by winning an open race or a hunter chase."

To that end, Dramatic Approach is likely to run at Larkhill this weekend.

Belvento wins most races in which he completes the course. Nick is pleased that Shekels, one of his first winners when he began training two years ago, is back in training and looking well.

The maiden Yallah Habibi, bought as a yearling by Nick's mother Althea and tried as an eventer by sister Tina, is another who will race between the flags for Nick this year.

Most of the yardwork is done by Nick himself.

He and a couple of part-timers do the riding out, with David Dunsdon coming down to ride work on Wednesdays and schooling over fences on Thursdays.

Nick is fortunate in being able to use the facilities of his father Josh.

He said: "I'm a firm believer that horses should go to the races as fit as possible and ready to win first time out.

"I work them pretty hard and the policy seems to be paying off. In any case, a fit horse is much less likely to sustain a leg injury.

To complete the Sussex success at Charing, Di Grissell scored with Glory Trail and Real Value and had two horses placed as well. Robertsbridge-based Di was delighted with her afternoon's work.

The most interesting of her runners was Real Value, who if he progresses sufficiently, will go for the Cheltenham Foxhunters Chase in March and perhaps the Aintree equivalent early in April.

Di has 15 horses in a separate yard from those of her husband Gardie for point-to-point and hunter chases.

Her 18-year-old daughter Hannah, who rode two winners two seasons ago but was denied opportunities because of the foot-and-mouth outbreak in 2001, will be in action on several of them.

The Grissells' elder daughter, Coral, married to David Seek, who hails from Seaford and is assistant trainer at Newmarket to Ed Dunlop, will have rides on the East Anglian circuit.