Less than two years after breaking a bone in her leg, Arab mare Brigitta has won a major race to fulfil her late owner's great ambition.

Pure-bred Brigitta was inherited by Lynn Brooker of Ludchurch from her uncle, Clive Brooker.He had owned the horse since she was 10 months old, but he sadly died in February at the age of 68 without seeing her come first past the post.

But last month, Brigitta became one of this year's stars of the Arabian Racing Organisation when she galloped home ahead of the field at Warwick racecourse, winning a bronze cup and £800.

With jockey Phil Collington on board, she won one of the organisation's three end-of-year championship races - the Jebel Ali Racing Club handicap stakes.

"My uncle saw Gitta run last year, when she had a couple of thirds, but he never lived to see her win, and so I dedicated this race to him," said Lynn, who has owned and trained racehorses for the past 20 years. "It was so exciting when she won - I was just over the moon.

I really feel that she has completed my uncle's ambition."

The five-year-old grey mare made a full recovery from breaking her hind splint bone at the end of 2006, thanks to a successful operation by Graham Fowke of Cotts Farm Equine Clinic at Robeston Wathen.

"She was given an 80 per cent chance of the injury healing completely, so what she has achieved is marvellous," said Lynn. "My uncle would have been very proud."