Free horse racing at Bangor-on-Dee today

Racecourse manager Jeannie Chantler explained: “We had an email from the British Horseracing Board asking if any course would be prepared to stage a National Hunt fixture as Exeter was forced to abandon because of the hard ground.

“We applied for this as our course was in good nick. We do not expect a huge crowd, as we are putting this on to help the racing industry.

“We put on an extra meeting a couple of years ago when the Cheltenham Festival was on and we had 650 people at the course that day.

“I am looking forward to the meeting, it is always good to help out our industry at the end of the day.”

There’s decent prize money of £55,104 up for grabs on the seven race card, which has attracted six-runners from the Irish stables of Grand National winning trainer Gordon Elliott.

Racing comes under starters orders at 1.45pm with the Maiden Hurdle over two miles.

Donald McCain runs Shantaluze in the opener and said: “He has ability and he won his bumper well, I think there is plenty of improvement to come from him.”

But my selection will be Elliott’s Irish raider Markhan who finished third to a useful sort in Knock On Steel at Clonmel last time out.

And Elliott can land the Handicap hurdle at 4.25pm with Jaunty Thor.

The gelding has won his last two starts at Hexham and Perth and is a very confident selection for the hat-trick.

Cholmondeley trainer McCain runs Cousin Oscar but has stronger claims in the 2.15pm Novices handicap hurdle with Handy Hollow.

“He is going up in grade and has winning form on the course,” said McCain.

“He won well at Uttoxeter last time and he should run really well.”

I will not be opposing Handy Hollow, but I would advise a saver on the Nigel Hawke trained Mead Vale.

In the Beginners chase, it is hard to see past the Stuart Edmonds-trained Molly Childers.

The Stowaay mare finished runner up to Black Sam Bellamy last time out at Uttoxeter and is taken to go one place better.

The feature race on the card is the £12,900 Handicap chase over two and a half miles.

McCain, who runs Lofgren in the four-horse race, said: “He is a grand horse and has won at the course before.

“I am going to try him in blinkers this time to sharpen him, but I expect him to run really well.”

Elliott’s mare Mill Quest , especially with champion jockey Richard Johnson in the plate, will be hard to beat.

She finished runner up to an improving sort in Don’t Kick Nor Bite at Roscommon ten days ago.

It is worth taking a chance with the Emma Lavelle-trained Forget Me Knot in the novice hurdle at 3.50pm.

The daughter of Presenting won an above average bumper at Stratford last time out although the obvious danger is the Elliott trained Global Jackpot, who will going for the four timer after wins at Tramore and Perth twice.

The last race at 5pm is the Conditional Jockeys handicap hurdle over two miles.

McCain runs Golden Friday and said: “He is the only 0-100 horse that I have in the yard, I don’t think he got the two mile seven trip last time.

“He will be much better suited by the shorter trip at Bangor.”

My selection in the competitive nine-horse finale will be the Elliott trained Cold Shoulder, who can land the spoils at the expense of the Adrian Wintle trained Marju’s Quest.

Malpas trainer Ollie Greenall runs Never A word in the race and he said: “He has been second at the course and he was a good third at Uttoxeter last time out and jockey Ross Turner gets on really well with him. I think he is a good each way chance.”