THE seven-and-a-half hour journey to Musselburgh last Wednesday will have seemed shorter for Grace Harris on the way back, as her first ever runner there was a winner.

This was her Cheltenham Festival entry Field Exhibition. The trainer had noticed the mares-only hurdle north of the border didn’t have many entries. An alternative engagement at Market Rasen on Sunday had to be ditched because the mare’s latest flu vaccination would have been fractionally over six months in the past, and new BHA rules on the subject meant she couldn’t have run there. The Musselburgh race was just within the time limit.

Running there was “a no-brainer,” Harris said afterwards.

As it turned out, Field Exhibition faced only two opponents and made all the running to win by 11 lengths. She was given her flu jab when she returned home and connections now face the dilemma of whether to run her again before the National Hunt Chase on 12 March, where she is still quoted at 150/1.

Karakoram, who finished third at 100/1 for the yard at Ffos Las five weeks ago, filled the same berth at Lingfield on Monday. He ran on well at the end of a two mile maiden hurdle to pip the odds-on favourite for third place. The going was heavy at the Surrey track, and the jockey reported that the horse would do better on soft.

That’s also true of his stablemate Paddy The Oscar, who could run at Warwick on Friday.

Two of Milton Bradley’s three recent winners could appear again at Wolverhampton on Saturday.

Indian Affair has won ten of his 129 races, but has never managed two in a row.

Rapid Rise, aged five, broke his duck at the 34th attempt. He’d be one of the few in-form entries for the seven furlong classified stakes, but will find it tough if hat-trick seeking Naralsaif opposes him.

Maroc ran out halfway through a race at Doncaster last month, but showed his true colours when doing his best to try and lead all the way at Huntingdon on Sunday. The Nikki Evans stable favourite was just run out of it close to home, going down by three quarters of a length.

One of Ron Harris’ few jumpers, Texan Nomad, may attempt to recover the winning habit at Huntingdon tomorrow. He fell last time out, but prior to that he’d scored at Wincanton, demonstrating that he was suited by being held up off a strong pace. Due to be reunited with Lorcan Williams, who rode him when he won, he should have every chance.

Paul Nicholls trained eight winners on Saturday and he will no doubt have a fistful of runners up and down the country this coming weekend. He has entries at Chepstow this Saturday, where racing returns after a five-week gap. He had a winner on the card last year, Moabit, ridden by Bryony Frost.

There’s still time to buy advance tickets for as little as £10. Between and after the races rugby fans can watch both Six Nations matches on the big screen and other TVs on the course.