Johnson is the talk of the town at Warwick after landing a double

Johnson, who landed a four-timer at the course a week ago, had failed to add to his seasonal tally on his only mount at Sedgefield the day before, but he had better luck here on the Trevor Hemmings owned Longtown.

Having taken the lead at the fourth-last flight, Longtown, who looks a chaser in the making, had too much power for the Dan Skelton trained Earlshill, who had appeared a real threat turning for home.

Just four turned out for the novices’ handicap chase, with Bandon Bridge and Tommy The Rascal dominating the race from the start. It was Bandon Bridge who found an extra gear to go clear under Gavin Sheehan with two fences to jump and give Hay-on-Wye trainer Katy Price her first winner since October.

Devon trainer Nigel Hawke, who rode Seagram to victory in the Grand National back in 1991, has hit a rich vein of form and sent out Deauville Crystal, a winner at Newbury the previous Saturday, to land another good prize when scooping the feature 188Bet St Mary’s Lands 4-Y-O Fillies’ Handicap Hurdle.

Evening Hush took the field along at a good pace, until passed by Giveaway Glance at the third-last flight, Stalking the leader was Deauville Crystal and, after laying down a challenge at the penultimate flight, she quickened away for a comfortable success to give her jockey Sean Bowen his 75th winner in what is proving to be a breakthrough season.

Regal Flow, and After Hours fought a ding-dong battle over the last three fences in the 188Bet.co.uk “Confined” Handicap Chase over three miles and, with amateur jockey Sean Houlihan able to claim a valuable 7lb off his weight, it was After Hours who came out on top.

For trainer Bob Buckler, who is in his 27th season, this was a welcome change of fortune, with the win of Somerset Lias at Taunton in November his only other success in what has been a lean campaign.

Bookmakers were offering 7-1 the field in a wide-open betting market for the long-distance handicap hurdle but, at the end of the three-and-a-quarter mile trip, there was only one horse in it, as 9-1 shot Doctor Look Here led into the straight and was always holding his rivals to score his first success since December 2015.

Johnson completed a first and last race double when landing the second division of the National Hunt Flat Race on €155,000 purchase Mance Rayder, who made a winning racecourse debut in the well-known colours of Diana Whateley.