Lorcan Wyer, suspended when Cumbrian Challenge was due to run in the Victor Chandler Handicap Chase at Ascot last Saturday, gets a second bite at the cherry tomorrow.

With last Saturday's meeting having fallen victim to the weather, the Victor Chandler has been held over until tomorrow and Wyer is now free to take the mount on Tim Easterby's raider.

Ascot staged an inspection of its hurdles course at 8am this morning and passed it fit which means a full eight-race card tomorrow, with the re-scheduled Victor Chandler as its centrepiece.

A Wetherby specialist, Cumbrian Challenge registered his ninth win on his favourite course in the Castleford Chase at the Christmas meeting when beating Direct Route.

Also twice a winner at Ascot, he will hardly be unfamiliar with tomorrow's surroundings, and, clearly in good heart, is fancied to take all the beating in this £35,00 televised showpiece.

Nipper Reed, impressive winner of both his starts over fenced this season, is the apple of trainer Rod Simpson's eye, and is strongly fancied to complete a hat-trick in the £25,000 PML Lightning Novices' Chase.

As for the Durham Ranger Handicap Chase, a bold bid is anticipated from Nap selection Buckland Lad, who had five lengths to spare over Morstock at Kempton last week and looks an improved performer.

Crazy Horse can provide trainer Len Lungo with a special success at Kelso tomorrow.

The Dumfries handler needs just one more winner to take his seasonal tally to 34 and equal his previous best score.

And Crazy Horse has excellent prospects of delivering the goods in the Wetherby Data Services Novices' Hurdle.

Winner of two bumpers last season, Crazy Horse was somewhat surprisingly beaten into second place on his first two starts over hurdles this term.

But he went one better with a vengeance at Ayr's Christmas meeting when beating Major Sponsor in determined style.

The runner-up has since scored impressive wins at Catterick, and in a valuable race at Newcastle last Saturday, paying a huge compliment to Crazy Horse in the process.

With Robbie Supple in the saddle, Crazy Horse can live up to his growing reputation tomorrow, and give Len Lungo good cause for celebration.

Deep Water, who developed into a top-class novice last season, makes his eagerly awaited reappearance in the Macbet Morebattle Hurdle.

Micky Hammond sees his stable-star as a genuine Champion Hurdle contender and Deep Water will certainly need to win this handicap in order to book his Cheltenham place.

On anything like his best form, which last season embraced a win in the Glenlivet Hurdle at Aintree, Deep Water should succeed, but the Hammond string are not exactly on fire at present, a fact which punters should take into account Bryan Harding has the mount.

Ascot course gets the all-clear to race ahead

Fears of waterlogging at Ascot eased today and tomorrow's meting is set to go ahead as an eight-race card, over both hurdles and fences.

There had been fears that the three scheduled contest over hurdles would have to be scrapped.

But after an inspection this morning clerk of the course Nick Cheyne said: "We're going ahead.

"The course is improving and the forecast is fairly favourable.

"The going is heavy on the hurdles course, soft - heavy in places - on the chase course."

The five races over fences tomorrow include the Victor Chandler Chase which was salvaged from last Saturday's abandoned Ascot card.

Haydock's Clerk of the course Philip Arkwright is confident that Saturday's Peter Marsh Chase meeting at Haydock Park will beat the weather.

The track's last scheduled fixture earlier this month was lost to waterlogging and the country has suffered heavy rainfall since.

But Arkwright said: "It has taken the rain pretty well and we are all right.

"When our last meeting was abandoned we did some pretty intensive work and it has worked.

"The going is soft, heavy in places. But we are perfectly all right."

Celebrations at Catterick

Celebrations will be the order of the day at Catterick races on Saturday.

The seven-race programme at features The Stuart Wilson & Carla Ferri Engagement Handicap Chase and The John Hemy 60th Birthday Novices' Hurdle - both races contested over the extended three miles and one furlong.

Stuart and Carla, from Middlesbrough, were engaged on Christmas Eve and Saturday's race forms part of their celebrations with their friends and families.

Racing fanatic John Hemy, also from Middlesbrough, celebrates his 60th birthday tomorrow and he is determined to mark the occasion on a Catterick raceday.

As a member of the Hambleton Racing Partnership, John has enjoyed the thrill of racehorse ownership and he, along with his wife Barbara, family and friends will be hoping for some more winners on Saturday.

Racing at Catterick on Saturday begins at 12.50pm.

Tomorrow's tips

ASCOT12.30........Buckland Lad (Nap) 1.00...........Prominent Profile 1.30.....................Native Fling 2.05.................................Saleel 2.40......................Nipper Reed 3.20.......Cumbrian Challenge 3.40.........The Butterwick Kid 4.10................Lancastrian JetKELSO 1.20.....................Lippy Louise 1.50......................Crazy Horse 2.25.......................Deep Water 2.55........................Tough Test 3.30............................Solsgirth 4.00...........................Mr Busby

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.