IT MAY only have been a two-horse affair, but the men's open at Larkhill on Saturday was a race Clare Anthony and John Cornett will never for-get.

The victory of veteran Hawaiian Youth at the South West and Wilts meeting was Anthony's first as a trainer and Cornett's first as an owner.

The couple from East Meon looked a picture of happiness in the winner's enclosure - and they will be even happier in June when they get married.

The 14-year-old chestnut is trained by Anthony on the West Meon farm of Simon Cobden and his father Richard. Cobden rode the gelding, but backers of the red-hot favourite had palpitations before he regained the lead at the second last and strode clear in the home straight to outgun soli-tary rival Wise Examiner.

Hawaiian Youth, once a successful National Hunt chaser with Graham McCourt, was going one better than his second place at Hackwood Park on Easter Monday but the old-timer looked a mere youngster compared to Granville Grill who was first past the post in the following novice riders' race at the grand age of 17.

However, joy turned to despair when Granville Grill's jockey Simon Howe weighed in.

Riders are allowed to be 2lb heavier or lighter after a race than before it - and Howe had exerted himself so much during the three-miler than he sweated off 2lb 7oz.

The clerk of the scales lodged an objection to the tiny 7oz excess and under the rules the stewards had no alternative but to disqualify gallant Granville Grill leaving 40-year-old Howe distraught:

"I have been riding for 20 years without a winner until today - and now this happens. I simply can't believe it."

It would have been Granville Grill's 20th triumph bringing the curtain down on an illustri-ous career, but instead the 'winner' was the aptly named Stay Lucky, the 2-1 favourite, who had been beaten by one-and-a-half lengths.

The ladies' race saw Mostyn, ridden by Rilly Goschen, smash the track record that had stood for 15 years clocking five minutes 54 seconds for the three-mile trip, a second faster than the old mark.

Hunt: 1 Arabitan (Rachel Green) 5-2 finished alone. 2 ran. Time: 6min 17sec. Winning owner and hunt: Miss S Brine (South and West Wilts).

Maiden: 1 Snowboy (David Turner) 5-1, 2 High Sturt, 3 Last Gamble. 12 ran. Distances: a distance, 3 lengths. 6min 8sec. Mrs J Bailey (Royal Artillery).

Ladies' open: 1 Mostyn (Rilly Goschen) 13-2, 2 Mine's A Gin, 3 Druid'sBrook. 5 ran. 12, a distance. 5min 54sec (course record). Roger and Greta Weaver (Berkeley).

Men's open: 1 Hawaiian Youth (Simon Cobden) 1-4 fav beat Wise Examiner. 2 ran. Distance: a distance. 6min 16sec. J Cornett (Hursley Hambledon).

Novice riders: 1 Stay Lucky (Nick Phillips) 2-1 fav, 2 Chism, 3 Abavard. 7 ran. 1, 6. J Phillips (VWH). Granville Grill finished first but following an objection by the clerk of the scales was disqualified and placed last.

Restricted: 1 Butterwick King (Dominic Alers-Hankey) 7-2, 2 Cucklington, 3 Pharniskey. 8 ran. , 15. 6min 6sec. Mrs S Lindley, Mrs D Lewes, Mrs M White, Mrs D Little (West Somerset Vale).