Trainers in the South Midlands will be praying that Storm Cieran, the latest in the series of named weather events this wet October, does not impact on the racing schedule as a damp autumnal Monday at Huntingdon showcased three trainers whose strings are coming into form just as the Jumps season steps up a gear. 

In normal circumstances, it would be hard to raise the heartbeat watching a mundane Monday card especially after a treat of a weekend that saw five Irish winners at Cheltenham and a host of prospective smart candidates for the big time some time hence. 

The opening handicap chase proved a winning chase debut for Kankin, trained at Edgcote by Alex Hales, his sixth of the new term, and the latest since a winner here two weeks ago. Although the margin of victory was 1 1/4l, any one of four could have won with 150 yards to run. Kielan Woods conjured up an extra effort from the seven year old, clearly relishing a switch to the bigger obstacles and eschewing novice chase conditions for handicap class straightway.

Not to be outdone, neighbour Ben Case replied thirty minutes later when Boleyn Boy ran out a 4 1/4l winner in a novices handicap hurdle to keep the party feeling in Edgcote alive. 

Laura Horsfall is well known to Pointing fans, having enjoyed great success in the amateur division over many years. She showed just what a good grounding the Point-to-Point circuit can be when producing Jack The Savage to win the low grade handicap hurdle over the minimum trip, his maiden victory over the smaller obstacles following Bumper success at Worcester in mid-summer 2022.

Something of a newbie to the professional ranks, Laura took out a full trainer's licence for the 2021-22 season, and enjoyed 3 winners last term. Whilst she won't be worrying the likes of Nicholls or Henderson just yet, you can ask no more than that yards improve their score season on season. With only seven runners to date this season, she boasts a very respectable 20% strike rate in hurdle races.

Back in the amateur ranks, the start of a new Point-to-Point season is imminent, but the weather is playing its part here to blow events off course. Knightwick, adjacent to the Teme river, is already waterlogged and looking for a fresh date to replace November 11.