The 160th renewal of the Grand Military Gold Cup day took place at Sandown Park on Friday afternoon.

It is a day where racing says thank you to the armed forces.

The highlight of the day was the running of the The Grand Military Gold Cup, run over 3m. Last year’s winner Farceur Du large was bidding to win the race for the second year running with the third in last year’s race Fil D’Artane among the six runners.

Coming into the straight with two fences to jump, last year’s winner was well in contention before owner-trainer-jockey Captain Douglas White took over the lead to go on and win by 1 ¾ lengths.

White – a Wiltshire farmer who was a member of the Queen's Royal Hussars, the British Army's most senior armed regiment, until 2013 – was welcomed into the winners' enclosure by raucous cheers along with a host of members of his family and friends.

"It was great and totally unexpected," White said of the 11-1 success, which came after the pair pulled up in a hunter chase at Taunton just over a fortnight ago. "He was an outsider and I thought he'd be outclassed, but he seems to love it around here and I loved it as well.

"Luckily I'm a farmer, so I make time for training him during the day, but that sounds a little bit too professional – I just ride him around the farm. It seems to work, it keeps him fresh and he loves it.

"He's very easy to ride. You could put a sack of spuds on him or Harry Cobden and he'd go just as well, which is fortunate given his jockey."

The other race on the card for military riders, the 2m amateur jockeys handicap hurdle, went to Casa Loupi with Sergeant Nathan Rahman for the Moores’.

Despite being off for almost a year, the eight-year-old went clear after the second last. Approaching the final flight, the gelding made his first error by hitting the hurdle hard, but recovered well to go away and win comfortably by seven lengths.

Castle Carrock made a successful debut for Alan King in the 2m novices hurdle. The six-year-old was having his first run for new connections since leaving Nicky Richards after winning a bumper at Ayr in November.

Loverdose made it three wins in a row after capturing the 2m 4f handicap hurdle by ten lengths for trainer Robert Walford with Harry Kimber in the plate. It was also the six-year-old’s third victory in four starts this season.

Vincenzo took his record to two wins from three runs over fences after taking the 1m 7 ½ f novice handicap chase under Dylan Johnston.

Lord Of All Saints keeps improving with age and made it three winning runs in a row after capturing the finale on the card the 2m 4f novices handicap hurdle. The Harriet Dickin trained five-year-old had previously won at Warwick on New Year’s Eve.

Despite carrying a 10lb penalty, under Bradley Harris the horse took a keen hold early on. With three furlongs remaining Lord Of The Saints was prominent, going easily before leading just before two out. Approaching the last the horse kept on well in the run in to win by four lengths to give Dickin her eighth winner of the season.

By Peter Moore