New favourite for Welsh Grand National after Fry's Ask Me Early powers home

Tuesday: Exeter

Ask Me Early moved to the top of Welsh Grand National betting lists after a reappearance success over hurdles that Harry Fry described as "a nice bonus". "It wouldn't have mattered if he was sixth," said the Dorset trainer, whose horses are running well.

"Today was literally, come here and get his season started. As long as he came out of it in one piece, that's what mattered."

The grey seemed booked for second as Grange Road led over the final flight but rallied as the leader hung off the rails on the run-in. "He's a very exciting second-season chaser," Fry said.

Ask Me Early was cut from 14-1 to 10-1 for the Chepstow showpiece and is likely to take in the trial race on 4th December before tackling the marathon handicap three weeks later. Fry added the horse, who was treated for kissing spines after his February flop at Sandown, could eventually become his first runner in the Grand National.

Nicholls scores half-century with Threeunderthrufive

Paul Nicholls had a disappointing start to this card, with some fancied novice hurdlers as well as Hitman failing to find the winner's enclosure, but Threeunderthrufive brightened things up for the champion trainer in the 3m novice chase and became a 50th winner of the season in Britain for his Ditcheat stable.

"The Reynoldstown would be a great race for him," Nicholls said. "He'd be brilliant round Ascot in that sort of race. He's a nice horse. He stays and gallops and you wouldn't know what was in the tank. We've had a really good start, a lot of winners in October."

On-fire Du Plessis hits target with 'old tank'

Jackie Du Plessis, whose ten-horse yard is west of Plymouth, is in the best form of her 30-year career, exemplified by St Erney's 12-1 success in the staying handicap chase. That took Du Plessis to four winners from eight runners since the start of September; she has not previously had more than five winners in a single season.

"I need to have a winner probably every week to recover from the last two years as that's been pretty rubbish," she said. "It's nice for things to turn around and, when horses drop down the handicap, you've got to take advantage. I'm pleased to have him fit first time out, as he is a bit of an old tank."

Results, replays and analysis

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