Niki Dee, whose aim of running in the Rowland Meyrick Chase at Wetherby's Christmas meeting was scuppered by the weather, is all set to try again on the A1 course tomorrow.
The Peter Beaumont-trained gelding has the £14,000 Monkton Handicap Chase on his agenda and is fancied to record his second success of the campaign.
A high-class novice last season, Niki Dee was successful at Uttoxeter on his return this term. A poor run followed at Ascot over an inadequate distance and on ground a shade faster than ideal, but the ten year old showed all was well with him when chasing home the highly-regarded Brother Of Iris over this course and distance last month.
A decent horse, Niki Dee can get back on top tomorrow.
Beaumont, whose Bobby Grant landed a useful prize at Haydock last Saturday, can also lift the Mail On Sunday Hands 'n' Heels Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Hurdle with Coolree Lord.
The naming of this race coincides with the fact that riders, although allowed to carry whips, are not permitted to use them, so Paul Alexander, the rider of Coolree Lord, will need to concentrate on driving his mount along.
The combination were successful at Catterick on New Year's Eve - when Alexander rode his first winner on his 23rd birthday - and although Coolree Lord comes back in distance tomorrow he commands plenty of respect.
The featured £22,000 Towton Novices' Chase looks best left to Lord Noelie, who looks a hugely exciting talent.
Trained by Henrietta Knight at Wantage in Berkshire, Lord Noelie slammed the useful Lady Cricket by 15 lengths at Newbury in November, but has since been denied an outing because of the prevailing soft ground.
The Wike Handicap Chase looks a good opportunity for River Don to make a winning start to the campaign on his return to action.
Trained by Mick Easterby, the eight-year-old showed fair form last season and looks to be starting this term on a reasonable mark. Although he lacks the benefit of a preparatory outing he is awarded the nap vote all the same.
At Wincanton, Looks Like Trouble deserves the chance to atone after his poor effort in the King George VI Chase at Kempton last month.
Noel Chance's gelding hardly raised a gallop on his latest outing and was pulled up which was clearly too bad to be true for a horse who had been one of last season's top novices.
Having started this term with a cracking run to finish third to See More Business at Wetherby, Looks Like Trouble should be forgiven his latest effort and granted the chance to make amends in the John Bull Chase. Double Thriller ranks as the main danger.
Ragamuff has been in smart form lately and Phillip Hobbs' gelding is fancied to chalk up a hat-trick of wins in the Lillo Lumb Challenge Cup Handicap Chase.
Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.
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