ROBE Farm proved there was no substitute for horse sense as they galloped home to take the 1995 BEN Naps Championship.

But the jubilant Sharples-based team insisted today that it was intuition, not inside information, that clinched the coveted title and the £500 prize - sponsored by Anthony Axford Timber Merchants of Farnworth.

Happy couple Diane Williams and Ken Howarth got off to a flier when they opened their account with Custom Kit, a 20-1 winner on Day One. Not exactly beginner's luck as Ken revealed: "Custom Kit is the half brother of one of our own horses, Dark Robe, by the same sire - the outstanding Timeless Times, who has produced 14 winners.

"We knew how good our horse was so we decided it was an excellent price." Diane and Ken are in the business, so to speak, but they don't have any hot tips to pass around. They are, however, prepared to give all their BEN Naps rivals a piece of the action and are offering shares in Dark Robe (by Timeless Times out of Hareem Queen) to as many of the other 199 teams who care to buy a stake.

"It cost us £16,000 in training fees last season and we really can't afford to keep him going ourselves," Ken explained. "We'll sell stakes in him at £1 apiece if anyone's interested.

"His previous trainer went bust but we've now placed him with Les Eyres at Thirsk - a former Gold Cup winner - and we have high hopes for him."

For now, Diane and Ken, who used to ride out for the trainer Billy Carr in his younger days before becoming a professional golfer, are enjoying their success in the ever-popular BEN Naps contest.

Robe Farm (respective mothers Lucy Howarth and Kath Williams make up the quartet) had ten winners through the season and Ken is quick to credit his partner and team captain, Diane, for steering them to victory.

He recalls a fateful day at York races: "Diane saw Sheikh Mohammed in the owners' enclosure. She said 'Buy me a horse so that I can stand in the paddock' - so I did. "She picked most of the selections but I really don't know how she did it. She's no expert, she's an auditor with Boots! But, as well as starting with the 20-1 shot, she came up with a 33-1 winner, Cerano's Lad."

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