RACEHORSES are not machines and one or two of them might well have a touch of the wobbles by the end of today's four-mile Axminster Carpets Handicap Chase at Exeter, the second longest race on the National Hunt calendar.

The chances are only a handful will successfully clamber over all 21 fences scheduled to be taken, but one of the bankers to get round in one piece has got to be last year's winner, Lancastrian Jet (2.05).

Henry Daly's 11-year-old is so slow he couldn't get a speeding ticket even if he tried, however, when it comes to the marathon stakes he has the requisite reserves to maintain a relentless, albeit relatively pedestrian gallop.

Lancastrian Jet's other main strength unquestionably lies in the spring-heeled department. In fact, such is his leaping proficiency he could surely have pursued an alternative career as a show jumper.

Daly's horses nearly always need their first run after a summer at grass and Lancastrian Jet was a shade portly when making his reappearance at Carlisle in November. In the circumstances he ran a cracker to finish second to Hugo de Grez, who has since franked the form by going in again at Kelso.

The selection will strip fitter for that outing and despite being 5lb higher than when scooping the pot 12 months ago, he should still hold too many guns for his 11 strong opposition.

In the earlier South-West Racing Club Handicap Hurdle everything points in the direction of Kedge Anchor Man (1.00).

For many years injury kept Kedge Anchor Man on the sidelines, indeed he failed to win a race of any description until last season when at the grand of age of 11 he knocked in back-to-back successes at Sandown and Huntingdon.

Although now only a few days away off his twelfth birthday, at least Nick Gaselee's representative doesn't have too many miles on the clock, running like a horse half his age on his recent comeback outing when chasing home the useful mudlark, Dutch Dyane.

Kedge Anchor Man will be suited by the easy ground, extended two-mile-and-six-furlong trip, plus has the big advantage of having made the frame on his only other previous visit to the track

The feature race at Sandown, the Grade Two £25,000 Go Winter Novices' Hurdle, brings together seven extremely talented individuals.

Five of the septet won last time out, including the Richard Johnson-ridden Philip Hobbs-trained Master George (1.55), who spread-eagled a useful-looking field with ruthless efficiency at Ascot last month.

Once Johnson pressed the button approaching the third flight from home the response was immediate as his mount picked up momentum and booted clear of his rivals. Sandown's stiff right-handed track is not dissimilar to Ascot and a repeat of those enterprising tactics are anticipated to bring about the same result.

Hobbs and Johnson also team up with Orswell Crest (2.25) in the Amigo And Friends Handicap Chase.

Orswell Crest, a wide-margin winner of his last two starts at Wincanton and Aintree, gave the impression on both occasions that there was plenty of fuel left in the tank.

If the theory turns out to be correct, the fast-improving eight-year-old has every prospect of completing the hat-trick, provided he handles the exceptionally challenging fences at the Esher course.

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