CHESTER'S plan of staging a hurdles race during a Flat meeting took a step nearer following a trial at the track yesterday.

There was a scare when one of the horses involved in the experiment fell at the final of eight flights. But the horse and jockey Jason Maguire escaped unscathed.

Trainer Donald McCain brought 10 horses who split into two groups. They completed two circuits, jumping the four hurdles twice and covering about two miles.

The possibility of hurdles racing at Chester has received criticism in some quarters, but McCain was full of support.

He said: "There has been a lot of rubbish spoken by people on the Flat.

"I think Chester deserves a pat on the back for thinking about the job.

"It's a great track, it's always in good nick and a fantastic initiative.

"If a race is put on it will be a proper race for proper money.

"I'd be more than happy to bring my best horses."

Chester chief executive Richard Thomas said: "It showed that a hurdle can be fitted in, that it can work.

"It is now a case of thinking about what we can do.

"We are not looking to have jumps racing in the winter – we are not looking to have summer jumping.

"This was just about whether it could happen. We wanted to make sure it was a proper schooling trial and the horses were not just jogging round.

"They went a good clip on very soft ground and we were happy it worked.

"Flat racing is our No.1 priority and always will be.

"This is something we just had to look at."