TOP weight Severn Gale won for the first time this season for Alce-ster trainer John Allen at Stratford on Saturday.

The ten-year-old mare followed up a fourth and second at the Luddington Road course by holding off Irish challenger Lobuche after being sent off second favourite at 4-1.

Richard Johnson rode the first two winners on a sweltering afternoon guiding Navarro Samson and Laazim Afooz past the winning post first.

The latter is trained at Jackdaws Castle by Richard Phillips and was the seven-year-old gelding's third straight win after success at Folkestone and Worcester.

The 6-5 favourite was bred by Sheikh Ahmed bin Rashid al maktoum.

Phillips narrowly failed to land a double in the next when Snow partridge came in third behind 33-1 shot Gumair in a novices hurdle race.

There was also disappointment for Cotswolds-based trainer and jockey as Warren Marston steered Fairtoto into second spot for David Wintle.

There was success, though, for Cotswold jockey Andrew Thornton in the afternoon's fourth race when 12-1 shot Rock Falcon got the better of Princess Londis and another Marston/Wintle hope On the Run.

Only six horses contested the richest race of the day - The Gary Wiltshire Bookmakers handicap Steeple Chase - after Alscot Park trainer Robin Dickin withdrew Skram, a winner at Worcester the previous day.

Favourite Run For Cover -winner of the same race 12 months ago - missed out on a visit to the winners' enclosure as 6-1 chance Reveillon took the top prize.

The next event on Stratford's busy annual calendar is on Saturday, September 2, while there is a triple helping of Arab Horse Racing at the course on Saturdays, September 9 and 30 and Sunday the tenth.

Stratford trainer Dickin hosts a charity Open Day in aid of The Prostate Cancer Charity on Sunday, September 3 between 10.30am and 1pm.

Refreshments will be available and admission is £4 for adults and £3 for oaps. Accompanied children under 16 go free.