First Love, owned by Her Majesty the Queen Mother, can add a Royal flavour to proceedings at Sandown tomorrow.

The six-year-old goes for the Bushy Park 'National Hunt' Novices' Hurdle and is fancied to return to the winning trail.

Trained by Nicky Henderson, who has some 20 runners at next week's Cheltenham Festival, First Love has never been out of the first two in three starts this season.

On his latest outing at Huntingdon a fortnight ago, he finished second to the Malcolm Jefferson-trained Another Chance over two-and-a-half miles, and may not have quite seen out the trip.

Back over the minimum distance tomorrow, First Love should get back on top on behalf of his owner, who remains National Hunt racing's greatest supporter.

The nap vote is awarded to Junkanoo in the £10,000 Tote betXpress Showcase Handicap Hurdle.

An easy winner at Wetherby on his reappearance, Mary Reveley's former useful bumper horse flopped next time at Newcastle, where something was clearly amiss. He did, however, shape a good deal better on his latest outing to chase home Another Chance and First Love at Huntingdon, admittedly finishing a fair way behind the two principals.

Now stepping up to two and three-quarter miles and contesting his first handicap off a reasonable weight, Junkanoo is worthy of serious consideration in the hands of regular rider Richard Guest.

The Alvis Grand Military Gold Cup Chase, confined to amateur riders with experience - past or present - in the Military, carries a lot of prestige in that quarter.

Major Milo Watson teams up with the Mick Easterby-trained Meadowbank in this three-miler and can expect a bold show.

Good ground is a neccessity for Meadowbank, who ran a fine race to finish fifth to Skillwise in a hot handicap at Doncaster last Saturday on far-from-ideal conditions.

At Hereford, El Blade can oblige for trainer Brendan Powell, a former Grand National-winning jockey, in the Watts Fences Racecourse Suppliers Handicap Hurdle.

The lightly-raced five-year-old has enjoyed a decent first season and it is significant that he is now coming back to the course where he gained his only success. He should go well under Adrian Maguire.

Monkerhostin scored decisively on his latest start at Sedgefield and a follow-up looks on the cards for Oliver Sherwood's progressive gelding in the Votex Novices' Hurdle.

Tomorrow's tips:

Sandown

2-15 Rock Rose

2-50 Cracking Dawn

3-25 Meadowbank

4-00 Junkanoo (NAP)

4-30 Barryscourt Lad

5-05 First Love

Hereford

2-05 Monkerhostin

2-40 Rogue Spirit

3-15 El Blade

3-50 Marigliano

4-20 Bramble Fair

4-55 Brave King

5-25 Mr Dow Jones

Updated: 12:32 Thursday, March 07, 2002