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WEATHER permitting there is some cracking racing at Warwick this afternoon including the rescheduled Veterans Chase Final which we recently lost to the elements at Sandown Park.

More of the “old boys and girls” later, but first up the feature race of the day, the Classic Handicap Chase at 3.00, where some old favourites will be slogging through the mud over the extended 3m5 trip.

If the weather forecast is right, the ground will have dried up to around good to soft, but it is sure to be clawing and those set of fences down the far side are a real test even for these seasoned campaigners.

Galia Des Liteaux remains a work in progress and should stay well, but I suspect she would want even more give in the ground so the drying forecast is against her, while the likes of the well-treated pair, Rapper and Percussion (up in trip) seemed to have been prepared for this big prize.

But the one for me here has to be MAJOR DUNDEE. The winner of the Midlands’ National last back end, a bog was of no use to him at Chepstow last time out when he raced very lazily and in an attempt to wake him up, Alan King has put the visor on for the first time.

In need of his opening run here at Warwick first time up, the drying forecast is very much in his favour and if he travels as well as he did at Uttoxeter, he has solid claims off a 6lbs higher mark.

Of the remainder, I also have plenty of respect for My Silver Lining who has been crying out for this more thorough test of stamina and her sound jumping will be a huge asset around here especially as the pace quickens up down the far stretch of fences for the final time.

The Veterans Handicap Chase (3.35) has been diverted here after being called off at its usual venue at Sandown Park and most of the declared field for that day have not surprisingly been entered here such is the prize money on offer.

I suspect that the bookmakers will be offering at least 5/1 on the field, such is the very open nature of this contest with the likes of Ramses De Teillee and Celebre D’Allen both likely to be at the head of the market place. Both have solid each-way claims and are respected, although the latter had a very hard race at Aintree in the Becher last time out, while Lord Du Mesnil found the two-and-a-half miles at Cheltenham last time out way too sharp for him, but was tailed off in this race last year.

So the vote goes to the sprightly 12-year-old MILL GREEN who has very few miles on the clock for a horse of his age, having visited the race course on just the 25 occasions. This will be only his fifth chase start, and he warmed up nicely for this when a length and three-quarters off Thomas Darby here over shorter, and now finds himself some 4lbs better off.

That was his first run for 193 days and the maestro Nicky Henderson has sweetened him up with a further mini break of 52 days as he is a better horse when fresh. Anything in the region of 10/1 would be perfectly acceptable especially as most of the layers are offering five places.

The Hurdle Qualifier at 1.49 is a mix of badly handicapped stayers, or entries that have other question marks over them. If you can forgive Gentleman At Arms  for his poor round of jumping when racing from way off the pace at Newbury, then based on his Aintree success the time before he would still appeal if ridden more prominently.

The Big Breakaway returns to timber following three poor efforts over fences (7lbs lower than for his last run over hurdles in February 2022), while Kyntara has won two egg and spoon races and is now 11lbs higher in a better race — albeit against some dodgy characters. So the vote goes to J’AI FROID.

The veteran 11-year-old seems to have turned over a new leaf this term after being beaten an accumulative total of 140 lengths last year from five starts, but that in turn has seen his mark drop over a stone and his second to Classic Concorde at Chepstow last time out looks solid in the context of this contest.

RISK D’ARGENT (12.40) still looks fairly treated on the back of his two runs this season here at Warwick and Haydock Park and looks solid each-way material in this wide open two-mile handicap hurdle, while the Grade Two Hampton Novices Chase at 2.24 has a small, but select field of five headed by Cheltenham winner Broadway Boy.

However, the Twiston-Davies card will have to jump much better than he did at the Prestbury Park track to land the gold medal again giving weight away all round and the run of five fences down the back stretch looks sure to test him in that department.

At around 2/1, I think he represents little value and I would rather row in with THE CHANGING MAN at around 10/1. He was going very tidily until getting the first of the Railway Fences wrong on the second circuit in the race won by Stay Away Fay. In fact, he had jumped the best of the quartet that day and I think is worth a second chance here especially at the advertised odds.

Elsewhere, it may be worth having a second look at bottom weight GOOD LOOK CHARM in the competitive Lanzarote Hurdle at Kempton Park due off 2.42. The eight-year-old mare ran the smart Nurse Susan to two-and-a-half lengths last time out and courtesy of Ben Godfrey’s claim gets to run off a three-pound lower mark here. She has looked a totally different horse since switching back from chasing last year and her biggest danger could be Sonigino under a 6lbs penalty after hacking up at Ascot.

The feature Silviniaco Conti Chase (2.07) could be set up for EDWARDSTONE with both Pic D’Orhy, Janidil and Notlongtillmay likely to set it up for him and Banbridge.