Update From My Visit To The South West

Venetia Williams was delighted to welcome back the Paul Beck-owned trio of Stan, Flintoff and Atouchbetweenacara to her yard after a brief spell in South Wales with Tim Vaughan.

The three horses all failed to fire in their respective starts for Vaughan and returned to Herefordshire a little under two weeks ago.

"I was pleased to welcome them back after their holiday in South Wales, but we haven't had the chance to determine much with them since their return," said Williams.

"I am delighted to have Flintoff back, but he is a bit of a Jekyll and Hyde character. He had one run for Tim Vaughan in the Welsh National and was tailed off early on. It will be very nice to get him back to the form he showed last season and the season before."

Stan had a nasty fall in the Grand National last year and Williams is reluctant to send him back to Aintree on the back of that, while plans remain fluid for last April's Cheltenham winner Atouchbetweenacara.

The trainer has a stack of talent lining up to take the baton from Grand National winner Mon Mome, including Ginolad, who won the VCR version of the race at Flemington in Australia.

"I don't think Ginolad will run this year, but it is a conversation I need to have with his owners. If you see the fences he has jumped in Australia, they are not exactly Becher's Brook," she explained.

Miko De Beauchene, winner of the 2007 Welsh National, has been racing for Williams this season, and the trainer commented: "He is a lovely horse and we are very fortunate to have been sent him. He ran a super race to be fourth in the Welsh National last time.

"He will go to Haydock next month for their Gold Cup. It was a race in which he beat Flintoff two years ago and it would be great if he could go back and repeat that order."

Something Wells, who beat stablemate Ping Pong Sivola in last season's Festival Plate at Cheltenham, was let down by his jumping at Huntingdon in December on his first start since and will be given the chance to redeem himself in the victorchandler.com Handicap Chase this weekend.