BAREL of Laughs added his name to the prestigious roll of honour after winning the Lady Dudley Cup at Chaddesley Corbett last Saturday.

Having finished a close third in the Cheltenham Foxhunters, Barel of Laughs started a short priced favourite for the centrepiece of the Worcestershire meeting and did not let his supporters down.

Templebraden and Iberico set the pace but the former started to feel the pace at halfway, whereas Barel of Laughs began to make his bid for glory. The pace quickened significantly down the back straight with Iberico and Barel of Laughs throwing down the gauntlet to their rivals over this line of fences.

Gillon Crow moved the 2015 Dudley Cup winner, What a Laugh, into third, but the two leaders had opened up a significant advantage as they started up the final hill.

Alex Edwards had seen off Iberico’s challenge as they turned downhill towards the finish where What a Laugh and Iberico were both in vain pursuit.

The runner up closed briefly in the home straight, while Iberico lost any chance of retaining second by making a juddering mistake at the penultimate which resulted in Sam Jukes losing an iron.

This was Bridgenorth trainer Phil Rowley second success in the race following Sybarite’s victory in 2013, while Edwards praised his mount by saying “He has got plenty of ability but he is not one of those horses that will win by 20-lengths. He will only just do enough."

This win was the middle leg of a treble for the 26-year-old jockey which started when he’d partnered Old Pride to victory in the Confined.

The final leg of the Edwards treble and the second half of a Diana Ralph double was completed by Henry Howard in the three-mile Maiden. Henry Howard turned for home with a clear lead and although Festival Dawn challenged again between the final two fences this was swiftly swept aside and the winner stayed on strongly to record his first success at nine years of age.