Britain's Michael Whitaker maintained his strike rate at Hickstead yesterday, claiming the Derby Trial with his opening day victor, Virtual Village Ashley. The 10-year-old French-bred gelding, second to go in a six-horse jumpoff, produced the only clear against the clock to head the 50runner field and earn Whitaker his fourth Derby Trial success.

"He likes the good ground, and he's full of confidence at the moment," Whitaker said of his winning mount, which will make its Hickstead Derby debut tomorrow.

Damien Charles had opened the batting with an eight-fault round from Romulus 16 in yesterday's Trial, and Ireland's Captain John Ledingham, third to go, was the first to try and match Whitaker's pace. His dual Derby winner, Kilbaha, was never on full power, however, and with Sunday's 30,000 Classic in mind, the Army man slowed right down after hitting the gate, fence two, and finally pulled up with 10 time faults added to his score.

Rob Hoekstra (Tresor du Renom) also fell foul of the gate and the following Derby rails, to finish with eight faults in a slow time. But the pressure on Whitaker mounted when Germany's Christian Ahlmann (Satan du Tremblay) approached the final line with an advantage on the clock, and the furniture undisturbed. The picture altered, however, when the former student of Hickstead's co-owner, Paul Schockemohle, brought down the first part of the penultimate double.

Sweden's Jens Fredricson (Ras tell), with good form in the Hamburg and Falsterbo Derbies behind him, could not be overlooked when last to go, but he connected with a rail at the double and brought down the final fence, leaving Whitaker out in front.

Ledingham's main objective for the weekend will be tomorrow's Peugeot Derby, which he will be bidding to win for the fourth time. He will have a double hand in this, having qualified both Kilbaha and Millstreet Ruby, which was unlucky to be denied a place in the Derby Trial jump-off when a late falling pole at the combination was her only error.

The Irish attack on the Derby honours will also include Peter Charles with his versatile Dublin Puissance winner and Aachen Grand Prix runner-up, Traxdata T'Aime, which has been rested in preparation for the show's finale. "He jumped five clear rounds in Aachen last weekend and I'm trying to recharge the batteries in time for the Derby," Charles explained. Joan Greene (O'Shea's Kilcullen Diamond) and Damien Gardiner (Pinon Lili), with 12 faults apiece in the Trial, complete the Irish line-up.