THERE is plenty to look forward to at Wetherby tomorrow, but the day's major race is a couple of hundred miles to the south where Sandown hosts the £100,000 Tingle Creek Chase.

The William Hill-sponsored showpiece brings together a small, but select group of crack two-milers, and hosts an intruiging clash between Moscow Flyer, the reigning two-mile champion, and Azertyuoip, the junior champion.

Both horses were triumphant at the Cheltenham Festival in March, Moscow Flyer in the Queen Mother Champion Chase and Azertyuoip in the Arkle Trophy, and National Hunt enthusiasts have since then been counting off the days until the pair crossed swords.

While Moscow Flyer comes into this eagerly-awaited battle on the back of a recent win, Azertyuoip got no further than the first fence on his reappearance outing at Devon before unseating his rider. That mishap, though, was simply that, as Paul Nicholls' crack performer is normally a brilliant jumper.

A wonderful race is in prospect tomorrow, and my vote goes to Moscow Flyer, trained in Ireland by Jessica Harrington, to triumph in under the guidance of Barry Geraghty.

Whatever the fate of trainer Nicholls and jockey Ruby Walsh with Azertyuiop, the duo should pick-up the £30,000 Extraman Trophy Novices' Chase with Thisthatandtother.

A high-class hurdler last season, the seven-year-old is now making a big impression over fences and was an impressive winner of a weak contest at Bangor in October before slamming a useful field at Cheltenham last time. It will take a lot to defeat him.

Mary Reveley, a trainer who is always a force to be reckoned with at Wetherby, spreads her net tomorrow to include Sandown and will be strongly represented by my Nap selection Overstrand in the £50,000 William Hill Handicap Hurdle.

Well placed to win three low-profile races in the north, Overstrand has had his confidence boosted sky-high and he now looks ready to tackle this stronger company.

He should give a good account of himself with his regular pilot, amateur rider Owen Nelmes in the saddle.

The promising Sure Future (1.15) and the well-regarded Kings Mistral (3.30) are two others to note at the Esher course.

The £15,000 One Man Novices' Chase, named in memory of the former top-notch steeplechaser, trained in the North, is the feature race at Wetherby, and Our Armageddon looks the one to be on.

Richard Guest's exciting gelding has rattled-up a hugely impressive hat-trick of wins over fences and looks a high-class recruit to chasing. Larry McGrath, as usual, takes the mount.

Mary Reveley, trainer of Nap selection Overstrand, can also make her mark at Wetherby courtesy of Malek in the Rocom Handicap Chase. The gelding made a bright start to the campaign when running a big race behind Mr Woodentop at Carlisle last week. He can now promote himself to the number one slot.

Great As Gold, who could hardly have won more easily at Newcastle last Saturday, will be a tough nut to crack in the Clearwater Collection Novices' Hurdle.

The in-form Vinny Keane again teams-up with Brian Ellison's out-and-out stayer.

Tomorrow's tips:

WETHERBY

12.30 Moscow Leader, 1.00 Malek, 1.30 Great As Gold, 2.00 Super Nomad, 2.35 Our Armageddon, 3.10 Beat The Heat.

SANDOWN

12.40 Spring Pursuit, 1.15 Sure Future, 1.45 Thisthatandtother, 2.20 Moscow Flyer, 2.55 Overstrand (Nap), 3.30 Kings Mistral.

CHEPSTOW

Televised races: 1.10 Lord Maizey, 1.40 Turtle Soup, 2.10 Sir Rembrandt.

Tomorrow's other meetings are at Lingfield, Warwick and Wolverhampton.

Updated: 12:21 Friday, December 05, 2003