NO matter whether he is operating over hurdles, fences, or running on the flat, Gralmano's amazing versatility continues to stand him in good stead.

A multiple winner under all three codes, there's just no stopping Gralmano (2.10), who bids for yet more glory in the £40,000 Lombard Properties Handicap Hurdle at Cheltenham today.

He's the kind of horse every trainer dreams about, and to his eternal credit Sutton Bank-based handler Kevin Ryan has done a wonderful job keeping his money-spinning inmate so fresh over the past five years.

Ryan's latest ruse with Gralmano was to take the eight-year-old to Wetherby and step him up to a trip of three-miles-and-one-furlong for the first time in his already long and illustrious career.

Suffice to say the plan worked a treat, Gralmano cracking the course record thanks to an epic head-to-head duel with Sue Smith's top-class stayer Royal Emperor, who made Ryan's raider pull out all of the stops in the valuable John Smith's Hurdle.

The Official Handicapper was not best pleased to have so under-estimated the selection's powers and as a result cruelly raised Gralmano by a truly backbreaking 13lbs. Such a huge hike in the ratings is never easy to overcome, however I somehow think the fairytale is not over by any means and fully expect the North Yorkshire challenger to be in there pitching at the climax of what promises to be a thrilling affair.

Ayr's go-ahead policy of staging a £20,000 Novices' Hurdle has been rewarded by the clash of two ex-giants from the flat, Chivalry and Vintage Premium, locking horns at the Scottish venue.

Chivalry, bought by Howard Johnson for a meaty 170,000 guineas on behalf of millionaire North-East businessman Graham Wylie, won this year's Cambridgeshire for his previous trainer, Sir Mark Prescott. "He jumps like a bunny," reports Howard, who nonetheless could have done without tackling the likes of Vintage Premium (2.50) on his inaugural foray over the sticks.

Vintage Premium, a listed class ten-furlong performer, was rated some 20lbs superior to Chivalry on the level and therefore by rights should have all of the answers. "He's been schooled and is by no means natural, it's an experiment but he did get a bit fed up on the flat and this might serve to rejuvenate him," explained his ever-shrewd Malton-based trainer, Richard Fahey.

Watching on TV is all well and good, although there's no substitute for seeing thoroughbreds in the flesh and I shall be heading to Wetherby trying to suss out future winners for the column.

One former nap selection to let us down last time out was Pompeii (1.15), now turning out in the Rocom Novices' Handicap Hurdle.

At least Pompeii did not go down without a fight, indeed had he not given the final flight an almighty belt at Market Rasen the money might well have been in the bank.

Given well over a month to recover from those exertions, Tony Lockwood's runner will hopefully be able to gain compensation provided he doesn't make a similar muck-up at any of his obstacles.

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