Stakes-race plan took Pottinger to £10,000 pot

Contestants aimed to gain as many points as possible from an eight-strong stable made up of Qatar Racing or Pearl Bloodstock-owned horses - including four two-year-olds - between the QIPCO Guineas Festival and QIPCO British Champions Day, and from the hundreds of entries, Pottinger's five stables included the first and second. Only the best counted, netting him the top prize.

Explaining his strategy, Pottinger, who works in public relations, said: "I tried to pick horses that would be running in Stakes races, and reckoned that would be Secret Gesture's route for the season so included her. It was more difficult with the two-year-olds, but Mind Of Madness had won by nearly five lengths [before the competition closed] on his first start, while Peace And War cost a lot of money as a yearling and I love the sire [War Front]. I didn't envisage her winning a Grade One in the States and topping my points total.

"In the final few weeks it was very close and I was checking the five-day entries to see what other people had running. Had Arod run [on QIPCO Champions Day] I might have been in trouble, but Brutus's second place in the final week clinched it."

Tristan Wootton, Bertie Butler and Jackie Hutchinson all scored 465 points, but Wootton and Butler share the second and third prizes because horses in their stables accrued ten wins, while Hutchinson's picked up eight. In fifth place was George Oborne.

Explaining his method, Wootton, who also lives in London, said: "I found it hard to choose between the sprinters Pearl Secret and Hot Streak, and spent most of my time concentrating on the two-year-olds. I had a bit of luck with Peace And War, because I thought she might run at Royal Ascot, but didn't imagine she would end up winning a Grade One in the States.

"If a two-year-old wasn't named I left it alone, reasoning it would be too backward, and I followed the advice of Harry Bentley and David Redvers."

An online gaming consultant, Wootton added: "I feel aligned to Qatar Racing because I was involved with some friends in buying Pearl Style at last year's Horses-in-Training Sale. We sent him to France, won a race with him and then sold him on, so it worked out well."

All proceeds from the competition were given to Racing Welfare, the charity that helps people in need from the racing and breeding industries.