Charlie Brooks may be occupied by the phone-hacking trial at the Old Bailey, but his horses continue to fly the flag for his Sarsden stables near Chipping Norton, with Max Ward providing his second winner in the space of a week.

Sent off a 9-1 chance, the five-year-old gelding romped home by 20 lengths under Liam Treadwell in a maiden hurdle over an extended two miles and three furlongs at Taunton.

Brooks, who denies trying to pervert the course of justice, missed the victory as he did the success of Simon Squirrel at Chepstow five days earlier.