Mick Fitzgerald notched a third consecutive century of winners when Futona took the opening Doubleprint Mares Novices' Hurdle at Wincanton yesterday.
The 29-year-old is enjoying an incredible purple patch of form at present, having been the top rider at last week's Cheltenham for the second year running.
Futona held off the challenge of Sheer Impulse to score by five lengths at 14 to 1 under a characteristically cool ride from Fitzgerald.
Swinburn - "It's not all been doom and gloom"
By Keith Hamer, PA Sport
Another jockey in a happy mood yesterday was Walter Swinburn, who, while riding no winners, revealed at Doncaster that he gave up racing to help overcome his weight problems and to regain his appetite for the sport.
He also revealed that he had been riding work at Aidan O'Brien's stables in Ballydoyle.
"They tested me out there and I rode plenty of horses. I think quietly they were impressed with my fitness - as was I. But it was lovely to ride some quality horses.
Tomorrow
"So if ever there was an incentive to really get back and get going that was nice."
The 38-year-old made a low-key comeback on the all-weather at Wolverhampton a week ago after 19 months on the sidelines.
Yesterday, however, he was back in the glare of publicity when he made a high profile return on the opening day of the British Flat turf season. He drew a blank from two rides for Newmarket trainer Jeremy Noseda - finishing fifth on Sir Francis in the Brocklesby Stakes and third on Desert Knight in the Doncaster Mile.
Swinburn admitted that he felt strengthened by his sabbatical. "I've been enjoying other things - there's more to life than racing and weight," he said. "I must say it's been a rewarding time for me personally and a lot of nice things have happened to me. It's not all been gloom and doom as people might think. I'm just really pleased to be back."
Swinburn has no ride in tomorrow's Lincoln, for which the overnight declarations were made yesterday.
Swinburn said that his ambitions were very straightforward. "I'm freelance and really to get through the season and sustain what I have started. I feel the platform has been built and I'll just really enjoy it."
