For the first time in a while the course was populated by a sensibly manageable crowd. The fields were very decent in size, and the fact that the going was officially good when the declarations were made did not result in too many non-runners.

Going: Hurdles: soft, Chases: good to soft (soft places), later changed to soft despite the absence of rain since the initial offering

Race 1: Vantis Novice Hurdle [2m 5f]

1: How’s Business     2: Swordsman     3: Forest Silver

Winner owned: Group Clean Ltd, trained: Charlie Mann, ridden: Noel Fehily

The race looked to be between two horses, with one vague possible, and they came first and second, but not in the order predicted by the betting, and How’s Business was a surprisingly long price at 9/2. The pair were in command four out, and How’s Business simply stayed on the bridle far longer. The vague possible was I Have Dreamed, who was not really involved and eventually pulled up, but looks to need decent ground. The others ranked in various degrees of vague impossibility, and if you overlook his unlikely fast ground hurdle win, it could be argued that this was Forest Silver’s optimum distance and going for now - maybe in time three miles will be his game.  

How's Business is a bit surprised by how well business is as she gets over the last

Race 2: Weatherbys Printing Maiden Hurdle [2m]

1: Haddaaf     2: Mancebo     3: Ardmaddy

Winner owned: Group Clean Ltd, trained: Charlie Mann, ridden: Noel Fehily

This is not a typo – the same owner, jockey, trainer combo won both novice hurdles. With his yard having been ravaged by a virus, Mancebo did not have any hurdle form of note coming into this, but he ran a blinder, leading on the railway turn and keeping on well even once Haddaaf had exerted his supremacy. The winner possibly stepped up a little on his Kempton comeback run, and showed a versatility about the ground that should hold him in good stead next season. In fourth was Calgary Jock, making an unusually low grade career debut for a Nicky Henderson horse, and being totally unfancied in the betting. The evidence adds up to him being in the lower tier of his yard’s team. Hurdles first-timer Rio repeated the poor form that he has been showing since transferring from Ireland, where he was second three times on the flat.

Race 3 : Weatherbys Bank Novice Handicap Chase [2m 1f]

1: Inn For The Dancer     2: Ashwell Lad     3: Tancredi

Winner owned: Miss Sarah-Jane Durman, trained: Jimmy Fox, ridden: Sean Fox

A small field thinned out even further when Thegalleryman, all the rage in the ring, fell at the third and the headbanging leader Littleton Aldor (going a manic pace and jumping wildly right) stumbled just after the seventh and came to grief. The remaining four runners played a cat and mouse game until the end of the back straight. The first pair kicked on and then Inn For The Dancer, boasting plenty of reasonable form  but no actual wins, eased into control from the last. On form the winner and Ashwell Lad seem to be similar sorts of horses, but on this occasion Inn For The Dancer had his day.   

Having just passed the line in front for the first time, Inn For The Dancer takes a huge great breath of relief

Race 4 : Weatherbys Bloodstock Insurance Handicap Chase [2m 4f]

1: Massini Sunset     2: Alam     3: Romney Marsh

Winner owned: Mr & Mrs Andrew May, trained: Richard Mitchell, ridden: Charlie Huxley

Yet another maiden to have suddenly come good this season, Massini Sunset recorded his fourth win (from a mark already risen by 28lbs), helped by the easing in the ground. The first four were had the situation under control from quite a long way out, and the gap between them gradually stretched, the only change in order being Romney Marsh outstaying Explosive Fox into the places. Alam has liked to come third or fifth lately, so this was a dramatic change of routine. Two regular course and distance placepot legends took part. The mud is no good for Master T, even with Philip Hide back on board, but Acertack had an off day. Sitting Duck had run right handed in 15 out of 17 races (one of the others was on a figure of eight) and he realised what was going on here as he went to post. A bout of sulking ensued. 

Race 5: Weatherbys Messaging Service Selling Handicap Hurdle [2m 5f]

1: Lightening Fire     2: Kings Story     3: Mobasher

Winner owned: Alan J Williams, trained: Bernard Llewellyn, ridden: David England

The winning trainer kept his options open with two runners, and the other B Llewellyn (Swansea based, not Bargoed) also had a runner, meaning the Llewellyn name had a fair chance of cropping up on the honours board. Lightening Fire had begun to put an ignominious past behind him with a couple of good runs at this level lately, and won fairly comfortably. After just three runs, Kings Story was in on a workable mark, but his half-brothers have tended to prefer better ground, and this may be another runner that would have shown more had the conditions not deteriorated. The pack were well behind, showing little optimistic vision even for sellers.  

The sellerites are well scattered even with a lap still to go. From front to back they are Lightening Fire, Cloonavery, Sett Aside, Lancier D'Estruval, Hidden Talents, War Pennant, Kings Story, Mobasher and Tirailleur. All credit to the winner for being the only one of the front runners to hang in there.

Race 6: Tommy Carson Handicap Chase [3m 2f]

1: Waltons Way     2: Roddy The Vet     3: Miss Doublet

Winner owned: Walton Way Partnership, trained: Peter Hiatt, ridden: Felix de Giles

Named after a course regular who has recently retired, this race seemed set for a humdinger of a finish, but chaos at the second last knocked out three of the four in contention. Leader Victree made a terrible blunder and unseated Jay Pemberton, who had one brief chance of bouncing back into the saddle, but did not quite do it, which seemed to distract Celebrity Call into a blunder, which caused him to fall and hamper El Batal, bringing Charlie Huxley rapidly to earth. At the time it was hard to say which of the four would have won, but my guess is that Victree was marginally the most likely, with the caveat that Waltons Way seems the sort that would have stayed on strongest of the four - like the horse that the race honoured, staying chases have brought out the best in him after some very low grade hurdle efforts. Roddy The Vet, whose yard is another in the doldrums, inherited the right to second place, whilst watching Waltons Way scurry off into the distance.  

Miss Doublet, who rather ran in snatches from the front, makes to butt an invisible obstruction, whilst Victree (blue & white) and Sabreflight (7) take on a more sensible approach. Celebrity Call (white and red) is not too fluent and Walton Way (blue & red) is about to make a worse mess of the fence. The others in shot are Tallow Bay (purple & yellow), Sycho Fred (garish checks) and Roddy The Vet (pink cap)

Race 7: Weatherbys VAT Services Handicap Hurdle [2m 5f]

1: Spider Boy     2: In Media Res     3: Najca De Thaix

Winner owned: Barry Ward, trained: Zoe Davison, ridden: Gemelle Gracey-Davison

What can be said about Spider Boy other than 'can I have some skin cream for the rash caused by constant head scratching?' After almost a half century of indifference (races not years), he now makes it two wins in a row, and in this case a tougher grade of race than those he is usually beaten in. He was helped in his moment of glory by a fine ride from his unheralded but very capable amateur rider, by Najca De Thaix finding less than nothing when asked for an effort on the railway turn and In Media Res staying on as if he would have been better off taking on Spider Boy at the front much earlier.

Plus Points

Swordsman (race 1): A losing favourite and seen off quite readily, but he is a big powerful horse who could make a nice chaser in time

Lysander’s Quest (race 1): Was a distant last of four finishers but was looked after and popped the final flight as if he was anything but tired. Despite being a ten year old, perhaps the benefits may be reaped on better going.

Bedouin Blue (race 2): Posted three decent runs over hurdles, but ominously has since left Pat Haslam’s yard. The mud was not in his favour, and is still one to keep an eye out for.

Alam (race 4): Might find the mud does not last long enough for him this spring, but has at least been improving with recent runs towards a possible, even though his handicap rating already seems to reflect that.

Kings Story (race 5): Was ridden as if second was the absolute best that could be expected but if staying in sellers he could be a different prospect on better ground.

Waltons Way (race 6): Beginning to look the part in low grade staying chases.

Pearly Star (race 7): Showed signs of a return to form last time, and the ground had come in his favour. He ran as if the opposite were true in both cases, but he is well handicapped now and a sudden revival could occur at any time – a bit like an eruption of Etna

Down Arrows

Ardmaddy (race 2): Stayed on well for third in the straight, but is looking the type who is happy to be placed.

Ashwell Lad (race 3): Was second in three of nine bumper and hurdle runs, and was yet again runner-up here. His last chase run is an enigma - in third he split horses rated 118 and 119, but the winner was rated just 75. Good, bad or ugly form?

Littleton Aldor (race 3): Has been busy and successful but has to go right handed and really needs to be more settled than this.

Scarlet Mix (race 4): Does OK as a hurdler but his only previous chase run was a weedy 10th and a bad blunder five out put paid to his chances today. Even when trainer Alison Thorpe has another splurge of winners, this horse could be worth taking on.

Croc An Oir (race 6): Amongst his last six runs he has three seconds, two beaten less than a length and the other by nine lengths, plus and eleven length third, and has still been smiled on by the handicapper with a net drop in the weights of a couple of pounds, now twenty below his last winning mark. There was no sign of taking advantage of that statistical anomaly.

El Batal (race 6): As recently as last November he had the pace to win a 2m 4f hurdle on fast ground, but since switching to fences has looked like a terrible plodder in need of six mile races or more. There must be more to his chasing underachievement than mere track and going inconvenience.

Sycho Fred (race 6): After showing some encouragement on his chase debut at Kempton, Sycho Fred has now twice failed to live up to it.

Najca De Thaix (race 7): Has had a productive season, and whether this was one race too many or a burst of resentment, it was a fairly poor show given that he was travelling best of all three out.

UK-Jumping Selections  

Bedouin Blue (race 2): see Plus Points

Haddaaf (race 2): Handled the changed ground with aplomb and won impressively

Supreme Lover (race 4): Failed to notice the presence of the first fence and sadly took a fatal fall

Wotchalike (race 7): Ran as if a right-handed course is absolutely essential