FRIDAY night at Chepstow Racecourse was Ladies Night, with Peter Andre providing post-race entertainment. It was sunny and warm, and the going was good, good to firm in the back straight.

Racing began with an apprentices’ handicap over a mile and a half. Until now Petrify (16-1) hadn’t won in 33 attempts, but this was to be his day.

Despite a slow start he was soon in contention and Mitch Godwin eased him into the lead half a mile out. From there he stayed on well for a decisive two and a half length win over Cape Spirit, reminding us that his trainer Bernard Llewellyn can never be discounted in races of this length and more.

The second event was a five furlong race for two-year-olds. The odds-on favourite Night Law never got on terms and finished a disappointing fourth.

In contrast her main market rival, the debutant Nayyar (9-2) made up ground in the penultimate furlong under hands and heels and drew over two lengths clear to win emphatically. The Charlie Hills colt turned out to be a good spare ride for Callum Shepherd.

Swendab disputed the lead throughout the 5f handicap and looked like the winner until Gilmer (4-1) came with a late rush to hit the front in the last hundred yards and land his fourth victory in two months, three of them here at Chepstow.

He’d been outpaced early on and under pressure until getting into top gear in the last furlong. Somerset trainer Laura Young has really found the key to this horse and his apprentice rider Noel Garbutt has been on board for all of his recent triumphs. Ultimately he won by a length, with a bit up his sleeve.

Timmy Murphy was the beneficiary of a winning spare in the 6f handicap. After Swanton Blue had made a valiant attempt to lead all the way, on the stands side Caitie battled past him with half a furlong to go only for Joules (8-1), on the far side, to make a very late surge and reach the post a neck in front. This was Natalie Lloyd-Beavis’s first winner of the season and her first at Chepstow.

Luke Morris rode the runner-up in that race, and went one better on Lyfka (20-1) in the next, over 7f. Driven along from fully three out on the stands side, she made steady progress and in the last 50 yards proved too strong for Hope Cove. This half length success gave trainer Paul Cole his first Chepstow winner for over five years.

There was another dramatic conclusion in the one mile fillies’ handicap. Izmir had taken the lead approaching the final furlong only to be challenged by Bay Of St Malo (9-2), and they duelled all the way to the post, where the latter gained the advantage in the last few strides to score by a head. Kieran O’Neill rode the winner for Richard Hannon.

After two good finishes the last race, over a mile, was the best of all. Four in line charged up the final furlong, and after they flashed past the post together the judge ruled that Diamonds A Dancing (20-1) on the far side had beaten Wakrame, next to him, by a short head with Silhouette and Four Poets on the stands side two necks away. The winner was ridden by Ciaran McKee and trained by John O’Shea in Gloucestershire, who had been out of luck with Peak Storm and his other course regulars earlier.

Geed up by the exciting finishes, a large crowd stayed on to watch Peter Andre perform.