Le Beau out to beat the freeze

Thursday 24th December 2009, 11:38AM GMT.

Richard Lee takes a look at Le Beau Bai with Hollie Cartwright.

Shropshire’s big Christmas racing hope was today concluding his preparations for a bid for Welsh National glory – with a trip to the Black Country.

South Shropshire trainer Richard Lee took Le Beau Bai, favourite for Monday’s Chepstow marathon, to Wolverhampton racecourse early this morning in a bid to beat the recent big freeze.

Lee, who is based at Byton, has been worried all week that he would not be able to work the 4-1 shot because of snow and ice on his gallops.

His wife Carol said: “We have got a covering of snow and although the horse has cantered over the last couple of days, we need to get a racecourse gallop into him and that’s why we are going to Wolverhampton.”

But while keeping the horse on the go has been difficult, Lee will have been delighted with the prospect of a thaw hitting the Welsh track before Monday – and the prospect of rain.

He said: “He cannot have it too heavy and that’s why the more rain we get the better.”

Amongst the rivals Le Beau Bai will face are the Venetia Williams trained-Mon Mome, who sprung a stunning Grand National upset by winning at Aintree at 100-1 in April.

View more: South Shropshire news.