FAMILIES enjoyed a sunny afternoon at Chepstow on Easter Monday (28th March), which in addition to seven races had an array of child-friendly attractions including a circus, an Easter Egg hunt and a friendly skunk.

The Princess Royal had entered a horse of hers but, like several others, it was withdrawn due to the changed going, which became heavy after Storm Katie deposited an inch of rain overnight. As was the case at recent meetings, the usual second last hurdle was omitted. The second fence in the straight was also not in use.

Tom George’s Song Saa, the 1/4 favourite, made short work of the 2m4f mares’ hurdle. She nipped through on the inside entering the straight to take the lead, and from that point Paddy Brennan, very much in control, gave her as easy a race as possible. She maintained a three to four length advantage over Two Smokin Barrels all the way to the line.

The 3m novices chase went to the outsider What Larks (12/1), ridden by Conor Ring. He bolted up by seven lengths, leaving his old form well behind. He made up a lot of ground to pass Butlergrove King at the last after the pair had pulled well clear of the rest. This was Somerset trainer Hugo Froud’s fourth winner of the season, three more than in the last three years put together.

They finished in the order the betting suggested in the 2m novices hurdle, and well strung out apart from the first two. Vinciaettis (4/5 fav) galloped into the lead at the far end of the back straight and after a good jump at the penultimate flight backers of his only challenger Maxanisi could tear up their tickets. Gavin Sheehan brought the Warren Greatrex-trained winner home by five lengths.

In the 2m4f chase Quite By Chance and Pressurize came away from their opponents after the fourth last, in that order. Though the former looked to be going better, Pressurize (12/1) lived up to his name by keeping close tabs on his rival until jumping into the lead at the last. Venetia Williams’s lightly-raced ten-year-old was driven out by Robbie Dunne to score by almost four lengths. Kerry Lee’s Grey Gold, conceding the best part of a stone and a half to most of the others, was an honourable third.

The best finish of the day came in the 2m4f hurdle. Nigel Twiston-Davies’s Colin’s Brother (3/1) just managed to outgun the well-supported Rock On Rocky after a ding-dong battle from the second last. Rocky looked to have a bit up his sleeve most of the way up the straight, but Sam Twiston-Davies persuaded Colin to rally in game style. The winning distance was a nose.

Another father-and-son combination was successful in the 3m chase, sponsored by the on-course Chepstow bookmakers. Sadly for them, the 5/2 favourite Berea Boru achieved his third consecutive victory for Peter and Sean Bowen. He battled with Kayf Moss, who he beat narrowly at Ffos Las last month, from the fourth last till the penultimate fence, when the latter made a bad mistake. Berea had his measure from there and went on to win by five lengths.

The last was a mares-only bumper. Sam Twiston-Davies never had to get serious aboard Tom Lacey’s debutante Bells On Sunday (9/4), who hit the front about three furlongs out. Postbridge finished three and three quarter lengths adrift in second. Sweet Little Kitty ran in snatches but kept on well to be third.