IT has been a bleak start to the new year in more senses than one. Against the backdrop of a resurgent global pandemic and some decidedly wintry weather, there was no jumps racing in Ireland between the Fairyhouse meetings on January 3rd and January 12th, and there was an interrupted programme behind closed doors in Britain also.

In the circumstances, we can be grateful that such good action did in fact take place on Saturday in Britain, at Chepstow, Kempton and Wincanton, all three having been under threat until the day itself.

Chepstow’s meeting had been postponed from the day after St Stephen’s Day, and featured the Coral Welsh Grand National over the best part of four miles. The race went to the handicap “good thing” in lightly weighted Secret Reprieve, but not without a scare along the way as his breast-girth came loose late on.

In a race run at rather a stop-start pace – as we know from sectionals, which are widespread in British racing now – Secret Reprieve went to the front three out and scored by three lengths, returning a base timefigure of 138, upped to 142 on splits.

Runner-up The Two Amigos comes out at 145 and third-placed top-weight Yala Enki ran a cracker on 161. Perhaps there is a case to be made for an open graded chase at around four miles somewhere in the racing calendar: Yala Enki would not be at all out of place in it.

Chepstow had also salvaged the Coral Finale Juvenile Hurdle, which pitted two of the best British Triumph hopes against each other. The outcome was a two-and-a-half-length win for Adagio (146) over Nassalam (142), and the only possible excuse the latter seemed to have was that the ground was nowhere near as heavy as had been predicted, but more like soft, good to soft in places.

Adagio is clearly very useful, and now has a fair amount of experience on the flat and over jumps, but he remains behind Irish-trained Zanahiyr (155) and French Aseel (148) in a potentially strong juvenile division.

The best winning time performance on the Chepstow card came from Cepage (159) in a handicap chase, though Esprit Du Large (155) looked superior until his stamina began to ebb at this near 20-furlong trip and he fell heavily at the last.

A special mention should be made of Ask Me Early (140), whose victory over Hold That Taught (135) in the staying novice handicap chase came in what looks a notably good time for the grade.