Richard Fahey brings up 200th 2017 winner with Furzig

His record is 235 in 2015 and he went agonisingly close to a double century last year when finishing just two short.

However, Furzig (7/2) ensured the Musley Bank handler ended the year on a high when scoring by a length and a quarter from Kath's Lustre under Tony Hamilton.

"It's grand. We missed it last year by two. It's just nice to get it," said Fahey.

"We've had a great year and I'm very pleased for everyone - the lads and the whole lot."

Ribchester was Fahey's star performer, with three wins at the top level in the Lockinge Stakes, the Queen Anne Stakes and the Prix du Moulin as the stable amassed more than £2.3million in prize money.

Eve Johnson Houghton was another trainer with reason to celebrate after victory at the Surrey venue, as she capped her best ever year when Goring won the feature Play For Free At sunbets.co.uk/vegas Handicap.

Edward Greatrex brought the Arelon gelding with a telling run on the outside to lead inside the final furlong and score for the second time in December over this mile trip.

Goring (11/2) was well in command at the line, beating Alfred Hutchinson by two lengths.

Johnson Houghton said: "I'm absolutely thrilled and for him to win like that was great. Stepping him up in trip and putting a set of visors on him appears to have worked the oracle.

"It was a nice pot to win and this has been my best year by a country mile. It's been really good. We're all bound by the horses we train and the staff that work for us and I've got a great set of both."

She added: "We'll keep him going over the winter. He loves it around Lingfield, he travelled really well. I don't know if we'll get in, but we might look at the All-Weather Championships over a mile. He'll go up a few pounds for that. We'll see."