Kendal Cavalier proved that a change can certainly be as good as a rest by springing a 14 to 1 surprise in the Coral Welsh National at Chepstow yesterday.

Remarkably, the gelding took the £50,000-added contest just 10 days after moving stables. He switched from Devon trainer Rod Millman's yard in Cullompton to Nigel Hawke's stable 25 miles away in Chard, Somerset, in an attempt to revitalise him.

And the plan worked in style as the eight-year-old, winner of four races worth around £35,000 in 1997-8, gained a brave victory in the three-mile six-furlong stamina test, run in heavy ground after persistent rain.

He led at the second-last fence and held the renewed challenge of Fiddling The Facts by half a length, with Forest Ivory another six lengths away in third.

Martin Pipe's Eudipe was fourth, but stable-companion Dom Samourai and Nigel Twiston-Davies's Earth Summit - second and first respectively last year - were both pulled up three out.

"I have got to give Rod the credit," said Hawke, who was saddling his first winner of the season. "The horse won four races for him last season but he wanted a change of scenery and it has done the job.

"We have only had him 10 days and we have played around with him to get to know him and it has done the trick. He's our first winner of the season but we've got a lot of young horses and we have had very few runners."

Hawke was not surprised that his eight-year-old was able to eclipse his better-fancied rivals.

"We were 13lb out of the handicap but he was suited by the trip, the ground and the track, and I thought he would run well," he said.

"He is not the quickest in the world but he does keep galloping and I knew that if he kept his position he would have a chance."

Hawke (32), is best known for wining the Grand National as a jockey on Seagram in 1991, and he is eyeing a possible return to Aintree with Kendal Cavalier.

"He might be a National horse," he said. "He stays and he jumps and that is what you need."

Jockey Barry Fenton, also enjoying the biggest win of his career, added: "He's as tough as old boots and in time he'll be a National horse."

Coral slashed the gelding's odds for Aintree to 20 to 1 from 40 to 1.

But Fiddling The Facts, beaten only half a length after making a couple of jumping errors, will not be heading to Liverpool, despite pleasing Nicky Henderson with her second place.

"I was thrilled with how she has run," the trainer said. "We can have no complaints, as she has now finished third in the Hennessy and second in the Welsh National, and she is barely out of the novice stage.

"She will possibly go for the Midlands National or Scottish National."

The stewards looked into the running of Earth Summit (sent off 9 to 2 favourite) and Dom Samourai and were told that the former will be refitted with blinkers in the future, and that the latter lost interest after missing the break.

Irish raider Lyreen Wonder fulfilled trainer Arthur Moore's long-term plan with a three-quartersof-a-length victory over Explain This in the £30,000-added Russell Baldwin and Bright Novices' Hurdle Sales Challenge.

"The intention was always to go for this race as it had big prize money," said Danny Houlihan, head of the syndicate which owns the winner.

"He is a decent horse. This was only his third race and he hasn't done much wrong yet."

Pipe was out of luck in his bid for a sixth Welsh National in nine runnings, but he did not leave empty-handed as Potentate took the Calor Gas Novices' Chase.

His course specialist made all under Tony McCoy and comfortably saw off Flagship Uberalles by 11 lengths to make it two wins from two starts over fences.

Potentate has now won eight races at Chepstow, including the last two Welsh Champion Hurdles.

"His owner, Jim Weeden, loves Chepstow - and so does the horse," Pipe said. "He did it very nicely today and I think you will find that was a good performance giving 12lb to the four-year-old.

"He may come back here for another race like this, and he could go for the Welsh Champion Hurdle again later in the season."

Miss Orphan was sent off as a 8 to 15 favourite to complete a quick double for Pipe and McCoy in the Finale Junior Hurdle. But the front-running filly came under pressure soon after halfway and was eventually passed at the second-last flight by Hunt Hill, who went on to score by 17 lengths.

This Grade One contest was won by Mysilv five years ago and Coral quote Hunt Hill at 33 to 1 to emulate her by going on to land the Triumph Hurdle at Cheltenham.

But trainer Jonjo O'Neill said: "We'll think about the Triumph, but I wouldn't take today's race as gospel on that ground. I don't know how good Hunt Hill is but we think he's a nice horse at home, he jumps well and he enjoys the game. He's gutsy and he's improving with time."

Twiston-Davies also landed a compensatory winner as Prominent Profile took the Chepstow "Championship" Stakes National Hunt Flat race by six lengths.

Problem horse Carley Lad found his feet to secure the spoils in the Harry Wharton Novice Handicap Chase at Wetherby yesterday, providing permit holder Norman Mason with his 14th winner of the season.