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THE calm after the storm of the Cheltenham Festival, but there is still some decent action this weekend with the big betting race of the day being the Grand National Handicap Chase at Uttoxeter at 3.00 over a lung-bursting four-and-a-quarter miles.

That distance will feel even further once the forecast rains hit the green turf of the Potteries’ track and there will be no hiding place in the closing half-mile or so.

There are plenty of dour stayers set to line up in the 18-runner line-up that relish this trip — notable former winners Time To Get Up (and set to run off an 8lbs lower mark), Truckers Lodge (2020, off a 3lbs lower mark), along with Classic Chase hero Iwilldoit, Eider Chase runner-up The Galloping Bear and Welsh National winner The Two Amigos.

You could make a good argument for all of the above, but I reckon that SECRET REPRIEVE (nap) has been laid out for this after side stepping the big Chepstow marathon at Christmas, and set to come here a relatively fresh horse.

He of course won the 2021 Welsh National off a rating of 134, but the following year off 140 was some 44 lengths off Iwilldoit after an interrupted preparation. They ran off level weights that day, but this time around the selection has a 23lbs pull.

Earlier on, the second race on the card, a two-and-a-half-mile handicap hurdle looks a hugely competitive event. Up from 117 to 128, with Harry Skelton taking over in the saddle, the hat-trick seeking Hitching Jacking needs another sizeable step forward here to continue his winning streak, but still shouldn’t be discounted.

Outsider Del La Mar Rocket ran flat last time out and may surprise a few of these, but the vote goes to STAG HORN who went off at 22/1 in last year’s Albert Bartlett, but after running free was always going to empty out late on that day.

He has so much natural speed that this drop in trip should serve him well and a drop in the ratings from 137 to 128 gives him outstanding claims here if back to his best.

The ground could be really testing by the time they run the staying handicap hurdle at 2.25 and that should suit Party Business who has simply not jumped well in two better races than this.

He is what I call a lurker in the weights, but if this becomes the slog I think it will then Brian Barr’s LYNWOOD GOLD could well defy his hike in the weights after flying home to win at Lingfield Park two outings back.

He subsequently found the good ground way too fast when falling at Exeter last time out and the return to this surface bodes well for this former Henry De Bromhead runner.

The other race I am interested in at the North Midlands’ arena is the novices handicap chase at 3.35.

I am sure the bookies and punters alike will find it hard to find a clear-priced favourite unless there is a big gamble on one of the market leaders, which makes this a desperately hard race to dissect and come up with a confident selection.

There is little doubt that Iron Bridge is at the top of his form, but a mark of 137 probably requires a career best which he may well be capable of.

In receipt of 6lbs Our Jet could leave his Wetherby run behind him, but my each-way wager will come on the Olly Murphy runner MACKLEDUFF who needed every yard of the three miles last time out at Wetherby.

A 5lbs rise in the weights here looks very fair and with plenty of pace on this race and I fancy him to pick his rivals off one by one down the long home stretch.

Over at Kempton Park there are several “consolation”-type races for horses that failed to get into their respective fields at the Cheltenham Festival. The Handicap Hurdle over 2m5f at 2.05 has a disappointing turnout of just 10 for the good prize money offered up.

Harbour Lake has been given a nice break by Alan King since blowing out in the Lanzarote Hurdle and I could easily see him bouncing back here, but the weather forecast could again scupper his chance again with plenty of rain on the horizon.

A Different Kind has finally been given a chance by the handicapper, but after jumping like a donkey at Huntingdon last time out Nicky Henderson’s charge, THE BOMBER LISTON, looks worth another chance of reproducing the form of his previous fourth at the track.

He remains feasibly handicapped off a mark of 123 and gets bundles of weight from the likes of Press Your Luck, Pull Again Green and the consistent Outlaw Pete.

A field of 13 will go to post for the extended two-and-a-half-mile Fives Handicap Chase due off at 2.40.

This is the easiest task that Grade 2/3 performer Mister Fisher has taken in for some time, but he wouldn’t want the ground to get too testing and there are plenty of each-way players further down the weights.

Fidelio Vallis arrives here a fresh horse and is a logical each-way play — and he was on my short list in an ultra-competitive event alongside my bottom-weighted selection, ONE TRUE KING (nb).

Three miles almost seems to stretch him out too far and he is back down to a mark on a pound above his last winning rating and at a double-figure price could stay on strongly down the line of three fences coming for home to at least hit the frame.

At Newcastle, I will taking a closer look at GOLD EMERY at 2.15, while later on at the Gosforth Park track, the Sue Smith trained SMALL PRESENT has finally been given some mercy by the handicapper in the three-mile handicap chase at 3.25.

Finally at Wolverhampton under the lights the feature class three-and-a-half-mile handicap at 7.00 may go the way of WHIMSY. This will be her first start for over two months, but the daughter of Charming Thought has a fair record when fresh and can dash the hopes of last time out winners top weight Zealot, Buxted Too and the in form Nolton Cross.