“We will have a clearer picture on Thursday but you would have to say, given how we are now and the forecast, the chances of racing on Saturday are slim.”. Travel far enough and it was still possible to find racing taking place on turf yesterday. Cagnes-sur-Mer, in the south of France, staged a meeting and there was a familiar name on the card in the shape of Garolo, trained at Lambourn by Charlie Brooks. The winner of a novice chase at Uttoxeter a fortnight ago, the Graham Bradley- ridden gelding failed by just a neck to win the Prix Jacques Pinel de Grandchamp for the second consecutive year. Brooks will seek quick consolation for the horse in another race at Cagnes on Sunday.
Khayrawani has continued to attract support for the Ladbroke Hurdle, at Leopardstown on Saturday week. Coral have shortened him to 5-1 from 6-1, while others that have been well supported with the same firm are Guest Performance (16-1 from 25-1), Lady Arpel (16-1 from 20-1), Centaur Express (20-1 from 33-1) and Owen Duff (25-1 from 50-1).Coral have also trimmed Nahthen Lad to 20-1, from 25-1, for the Gold Cup.The Ladbroke: Coral: 5-1 Khayrawani, 9-1 Penny A Day, 10-1 Family Way, King Of Kerry, 12-1 Bolino Star, 14-1 others.

Wimbledon have come a long way since Dario Gradi joined them as a fresh-faced reserve and youth coach nearly two decades ago. In those days they were Fourth Division makeweights, struggling to make ends meet at Plough Lane. Now they are Premiership heavyweights, struggling to make ends meet at Selhurst Park. In one of his earliest matches on being elevated to manager, 19 years ago this month, Gradi was thankful for a 0-0 draw at Crewe Alexandra before 1,800 souls. The height of the Dons’ ambition then was to escape the re- election zone in their first season after graduating from the Southern League. On Saturday, when a full house assembles to see the fixture recreated in the third round of the FA Cup, victory for Gradi’s Crewe side would rank as a major giant-killing feat.
For Gradi, now remarkably in his 14th year at Gresty Road and newly contracted until 2007, the chance to pit his principles and prodigies against top- flight opposition who just happen to be his former employers makes it the perfect tie.

His only regret that Sam Hammam, the Wimbledon owner, will not be present as Crewe set out to prove that other small fry have also made substantial waves.”I rang Sam as soon as I heard the draw and he told me he wouldn’t be able to come because he’d booked a skiing holiday,” Gradi said. “He couldn’t cancel it because he’s got family coming from all over the world. I said: `Right, I’m coming with you because I want to see your face when we humiliate you!’”The friendship dates back to the late 1970s when Hammam, a Lebanese businessman with interests in London, joined the Wimbledon board “Sam got bitten by the football bug,” Gradi recalled. Whenever he came over from Saudi we took him with us to matches.

We had to explain the offside rule to him several times, but he had this terrific enthusiasm.”Gradi was already established as manager, having been promoted by Ron Noades, who was chairman in SW19 before moving over to Crystal Palace. Though he plays down his role, the former England amateur international laid the foundations for Wimbledon’s extraordinary rise to become championship challengers.For it was during his reign that Dave Bassett, who eventually led them into the former First Division, was elevated from the playing ranks to be assistant manager “I don’t claim the credit for that,” Gradi said “Ron Noades always recognised Dave’s ability. I came to see that it would be a good appointment and it worked very well.”The “Crazy Gang” mentality was a reflection of Bassett’s personality. Hammam, understanding its value in terms of team spirit, carried it on. “It’s not my way,” Gradi said, “though I don’t knock it because it has worked for them.”Yet it was Gradi who effectively launched the gang show by blooding Wally Downes at 17, recruiting Alan Cork from Derby reserves and signing Dave Beasant from Edgware “He trained with us for a week and he was poor. But Dave Bassett had a feeling for him so we played him in the reserves at Brighton, and I got Mike Kelly, the goalkeeping coach, to go and stand behind the goal He came back and said `I’d sign him’.