Given the loss of Ayr this afternoon a massive well done has to go out to the ground staff at Chepstow who against the odds managed to get Saturday's rearranged Welsh National on where Mountainous won a second renewal in three years for the Lee family. The dual Welsh National winner is now 33/1 (from 50s) with BetVictor for the Crabbies Grand National with Aintree success in the spring with a win capping-off a tremendous 12 months for the Lee family since father Richard handed the trainer's licence to daughter Kerry in July.
Min was another similarly impressively winner on Saturday winning the G2 Moscow Flyer Novices' Hurdle at Punchestown and cut to 6/4 (from 2s) favourite for the Supreme Novices' Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival in the spring. Willie Mullins' has saddled the two previous winners of the race, Douvan and Vautour, for both contests and Min looks yet another excellent prospect for connections.
Ayr's abandonment means there is no turf racing this afternoon with all-weather cards at Wolverhampton and Kempton left for punters to tuck into this afternoon and Flighty Filia (2.00) a confident selection to land the opener at the latter under Jim Crowley. Amanda Perrett's gelding has been a revelation since stepping up to the marathon trip, finishing second in competitive 2m handicaps at Kempton and Lingfield respectively. The form of both efforts has worked out well and the well-bred daughter of Raven's Pass looks to be well-treated to shed the maiden tag at the belated 9th time of asking.
Crowley partners Daioni in the mile handicap and Simon Dow's filly respected stepping up in trip now handicapping from an opening mark of 55. She is respected but is overlooked in favour of Cla Rock (3.05) for William Haggas and Georgia Cox. The well-bred filly makes her handicap debut from an opening mark of 60 but is bred to be much better and boasts excellent claims sporting first-time head-gear.
A field of nine go to post for the feature 6f Handicap where David O'Meara's Foreign Diplomat must go close if running to the same level as when scoring two starts ago at Chelmsford. He disappointed last time out at Wolverhampton when failing to stay 7f but should be suited by the drop back in trip. He is respected under Danny Tudhope but the form of Royal Normandy's recent course and distance success couldn't have worked out any better and Rob Hornby's 3lb claim negates his 3lb rise at the weights. Andrew Balding's string remain in good form and his runner Royal Normandy (4.10) is well-drawn in stall two to follow-up and make it 2/2 over course and distance.
Hornby interestingly enough is at Wolverhampton earlier in the afternoon and partners The Fenland Man in the opening 7f Handicap. He has the potential to prove better than his rating of 60 suggests however, Richard Hughes' Believe It (12.45) bolted-up on his handicap debut over course and distance last time out and should defy a 3lb rise at the weights.
Hughes' former boss Richard Hannon has two lives chances on the card with War Glory (1.15) the stronger of the two and a confident selection to shed the maiden tag at the second time of asking. The well-bred son of Canford Cliffs made a promising debut last month over C&D when chasing home a well-backed favourite for the in-form John Gosden yard and with the benefit of experience can go one better under Sean Levey.
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