LOW-GRADE all-weather Flat racing is by no stretch of the imagination everyone's cup of tea but as the rain continues to decimate the National Hunt fixtures, the importance of keeping the show on the road at the likes of Wolverhampton is all too apparent.

And this afternoon's eight-race card amply demonstrates how popular the Midlands' venue has become, especially with trainers such as Andy Streeter, in with a good chance of topping up a respectable course record via Kewarra (1.30) and Africa (4.30).

Andy, who trains a handful of horses near Uttoxeter in Staffordshire, never shies away from sending his inmates to the all-weather tracks, a policy rewarded as recently as last Saturday evening when Africa pulverised her rivals with a powerful injection of pace from the four-furlong pole.

Given the ease of the four-year-old filly's victory, it makes sense to side with her again in division two of the two-mile Snow Festival Selling Handicap, even with a 6lb penalty to carry.

In the earlier Broken Needles Amateur Riders' Handicap, Streeter's Kewarra is a confident choice to initiate a double for the stable in the hands of the underrated 5lb claimer Patrick Aspell.

As a three or four-year-old, Kewarra, a previous winner of four races over ten furlongs, would have crushed today's modest opposition without breaking into sweat.

Admittedly his form has deteriorated quite appreciably since, although not to the extent that he cannot continue to pay his way now he has been dropped markedly in class.

The feature event at the meeting, the wide-open Jules Verne Handicap, is a mighty hard heat to call with any degree of certainty.

Tom Tun ran too badly to be true when carrying the nap selection at Southwell, however I fancy he'll find this helter-skelter five furlongs on the sharp side.

Dil and Branston Pickle both won last time out and therefore merit serious consideration, but my vote goes to the back-to-form featherweight Jack To A King (3.30), who ran the speedy Miss Bananas to a length at Southwell ten days ago.

Huntingdon rate their prospects of passing a 7.30am inspection as 60/40 in favour of racing provided there is no further rain.

The ground is scheduled to be heavy if the meeting does go ahead, which is sure to suit the consistent Forest Jump (2.40), not once out of the first three in four outings this term.

The Paul Nicholls-trained seven-year-old ploughed through the mud in resolute fashion at Folkestone in January, eventually finishing a creditable third to the smart French raider Broiswink, a performance good enough, if repeated, to account for his three rivals in the £10,000 Tote Bookmakers' Handicap Chase