DAVID Probert will remember the summer heatwave fondly, for he enjoyed a great winning streak then which included five doubles and a treble within two weeks.

He was doubling up again at the weekend, riding two winners at Newcastle on Friday and two more at Chester the next day.

Considering that we have so many races nowadays over sprint distances, it was notable that these four victories were over 2m, 1m2f, 1m6f and 2m. Probert’s strike rate this year in races of 1m4f+ is 17 per cent; for those of 5f-7f it’s 11 per cent.

Maroc won last Wednesday for Nikki Evans with another typically game front-running effort. While it’s generally true that 28-race maidens are not the gamest horses around, this is one of the exceptions to the rule. He tries hard every time and because he’s often finished placed the handicapper hasn’t been inclined to lower his rating. At Lingfield he broke his duck at the 29th attempt and connections will be hoping he isn’t raised too much for his narrow victory.

By his own standards the Bernard Llewellyn stable isn’t having the best of years. They normally manage 15-20 winners annually, but in 2018 they’ve had none on the flat from 46 runners, though they’ve had five over jumps since the new season began at the end of April.

Two of them have been down to one of his old stagers, Petrify. He was bought in for £4,000 after winning a seller at Newton Abbot in July, and has run consistently since. Back in Devon on Saturday he ran on gamely to defy Willyegolassiego, who didn’t go at a crucial stage; she wandered all over the course from the penultimate hurdle and went down by a head; she must have won if keeping straight. Perhaps this is a sign that the luck is beginning to turn in favour of the Llewellyns.

Ron Harris took Under The Covers to compete in a Listed race at Tipperary on Saturday. She was fourth of 15, beaten just under two lengths. She hasn’t won or been placed in the first three at that level yet – to achieve that would enhance her value as a brood mare. Harris has got two months to find more opportunities for her, and she copes with typical autumnal soft going. Although she’s five years old it’s quite possible that she could have some improvement in her next year – she only had one race before she was four.

Chepstow’s meeting on Monday was called off because ground is under repair on the straight course and near the home turn. The fixture was transferred to Ffos Las. The last two scheduled flat race fixtures at Chepstow, on the 13th and 18th, are also going to be switched to other courses. None of these issues affect the jumps track, which will host the big Jumps Season Opening meeting on Saturday and Sunday 13-14 October.

With Chepstow’s abandonments in mind, local trainers with flat horses will be glad to see that Bath racecourse has reopened after the drought compelled five of its fixtures to be given up. They have a meeting today and four more up to mid-October. Ffos Las are racing again today, this being a date that was in the original fixture list.