SANDOWN has fallen to the weather, regrettably, and even that was after the Tolworth Hurdle was shorn and moved to Aintree, so, while every day can’t be a day of the Christmas Festival at Leopardstown, the post-Christmas lull in Britain is even more lully this year than it usually is.

Hopefully Wincanton passes its 8.00am inspection now.

Wincanton has 47 declared runners spread over seven races, an average of just over six and a half runners per race, which means that you have to forage deeply enough to find potential angles.

Mr Grey Sky might provide one in the two-mile handicap chase, mind you. He is risky, but he looks at least a little over-priced.

You have to allow him his latest run at Newbury, a lacklustre effort for which there was reportedly no immediate obvious excuse. He led from early, but he was high and inefficient over the second fence and again over the water, and he was slow at the first fence in the back straight and again at the second, after which he ceded the lead. He just didn’t look happy, he was treading water before they got to the end of the back straight. It just wasn’t his day, he was beaten way too far out to allow you attribute his defeat to a lack of ability.

It was his first run at Newbury, maybe he just didn’t like the track.

Kim Bailey’s horse started off this season on an upward trajectory, he won a handicap chase at Huntingdon in early November off a mark of 115, and he followed up at Chepstow next time off a mark of 120.

He made all the running that day, and he kept on well to get home by over a length from Showbusiness, with the pair of them well clear.

He was challenged by Libberty Hunter at the fourth last fence that day, and it looked like it was going to be a good tussle between the pair of them from that point, but that tussle failed to materialise as his challenger got the third last fence wrong and came down.

But Evan Williams’ horse has added ballast to the quality of Mr Grey Sky’s performance in the interim, he won easily at Wincanton next time and he followed up at Cheltenham on New Year’s Day off a 10lb higher mark. He is going to get another hike for that win too.

Mr Grey Sky is only 3lb higher now than he was when he won that Chepstow race, and that gives him a real chance today. He is 10 now, but he has raced just four times over fences. There could still be more to come from him.

He goes well on soft and heavy ground, it was soft when he put up that career-best performance at Chepstow in November, he has won three more times besides on soft ground and he won one of his bumpers on heavy, so today’s conditions should hold no fears. And David Bass gets on well with him.

There could be plenty of pace in the race, but he is usually quickly away and, with cheekpieces on for the first time, if he can settle into a good racing and jumping rhythm from early, he could run a big race.

Handicap Hurdle

You can understand why Individualiste has been put in as clear favourite for the two-mile-five-and-a-half-furlong handicap hurdle later on the day.

Paul Nicholls’ horse was impressive in winning a conditional jockeys’ handicap hurdle at Taunton last time in first-time cheekpieces under Freddie Gingell, and a 4lb hike was not harsh.

He is short though, this is a much better race, and Astronomic View could be the value against the favourite, dropping back down in trip.

Sue Gardner’s horse looked a likely winner when he moved to the front on the run to the second-last flight in a handicap hurdle run over an extended two miles and seven furlongs at Bangor last time but, having gone widest of all for most of the journey, he was just out-stayed by a horse of Venetia Williams’, Tanganyika, on the run-in.

That was the longest distance over which he had ever raced, and he should appreciate the slight drop back down in trip today.

Crucially, he goes well on heavy ground. It was heavy last time at Bangor, and he won his bumper on heavy ground at Exeter on New Year’s Day two years ago. His only other run on heavy ground was on his racecourse debut, when he belied odds of 40/1 to finish third in a Newton Abbot bumper.

Lucy Gardner gets on well with the Schiaparelli gelding, and Sue Gardner has her horses in good form - trainer and rider teamed up for a nice winner at Exeter on New Year’s Day this year in Storming Nelson. Astronomic View has just turned seven and he has raced just five times over hurdles in his life, so he has the potential to go beyond the handicap rating of 115 off which he races today.

Mr Grey Sky, 1.30 Wincanton, 5/1 (generally), 1 point win

Astronomic View, 3.15 Wincanton, 4/1 (generally), 1 point win