Ellwood strikes gold on Rex

Lieutenant Colonel Ollie Ellwood has been riding at Sandown's military meetings for as long as many can remember and he added another winner to his collection in the Annington Amateur Riders' Handicap Hurdle today.

Now 54, Ellwood was given the mount on the Charlie Mann-trained King Brex (11-2) and the complicated eight-year-old put his best foot forward as he came home seven lengths in front.

"Ollie is the AP McCoy of the Army," said Mann. "The horse is a bit of a thinker but he did it today. I think Ollie is three from three for me now."

Ellwood added: "I think I've ridden 15 winners at these meetings now. It feels like I've been coming here for hundreds of years."

At the other end of the age spectrum is Tom Cannon, who showed off his skills aboard 100-30 favourite Owner Occupier in the Charles Stanley Handicap Chase.

Cannon was always close to the pace and stole a couple of lengths at the Pond Fence. It was only towards the finish that Tempting Paradise got his act together and closed to within three-quarters of a length.

Trainer Chris Gordon, celebrating his first Sandown winner, said: "He's by a five-furlong horse and out of a five-furlong horse but he has taken to jumping very, very well.

"Tom is a seriously good rider - we get him for all our point-to-pointers if we can."

The feature race of the meeting, the Grand Military Gold Cup, went to Lance Bombardier Jody Sole and the David Staddon-trained Blu Teen.

The 7-2 joint-favourite Ice Tea led them for most of the way but experienced rider Sole had more left in the tank and pushed Blu Teen two and three-quarter lengths clear after the last.

Staddon said: "A lot of thanks for this has to go to Paul Nicholls and the Stewart family, who gave me the horse, and Paul has let me use his gallops to get him fit.

"It's a big thrill and he's a serious horse who has had a lot of problems. He's in at Cheltenham, but that's unlikely, and we'll have a discussion about Aintree."

Charlie Longsdon reached 30 winners for the season through the appropriately-named Time For Spring (14-1) in the Charles Stanley Handicap Hurdle.

The novice's campaign had started to tail off after a promising start but he always looked to be going well under Felix de Giles and kept the confidently-ridden 15-8 favourite Havingotascoobydo at bay by a length.

Longsdon beamed: "Sandown has been good to us - I think we've had winners here at each of the last four meetings.

"This has been our best season by far. This horse lost his confidence after falling at Plumpton and hated the ground at Leicester last time.

"We knew the better ground would help and I even had him in at Cheltenham at one point, which shows the sort of opinion I have of him."