The brilliant Barton, unbeaten in six races this season, can make it a magnificent seven at Aintree tomorrow.

The Tim Easterby-trained gelding bids for the opening £30,000 Martell Mersey Novices' Hurdle and will again have the services of Lorcan Wyer.

Barton was backed to win a small fortune in the Royal And SunAlliance Hurdle at last month's Cheltenham festival and his supporters barely had a single moment of worry.

Sweeping clear of his toiling rivals in a matter of strides rounding the home turn, the local six-year-old took off a full stride too early at the final flight, but made light of the error as he powered home nine lengths to the good.

It was a performance of real merit from a wonderful horse with a dazzling future.

Easterby is contemplating taking Barton to Punchestown at the end of this month before letting him down for the season, but the Habton Grange trainer will not make any decisions until tomorrow is passed.

On all known form, Barton should have the class to win easily. And fingers are crossed that he does so.

The £85,000 Mumm Melling Chase offers Call Equiname the opportunity to add to his success in the Queen Mother Champion Chase at Cheltenham.

Paul Nicholls' smart gelding prevailed by one and a quarter lengths from Edredon Bleu, with Direct Route three and a half lengths away in third place.

Tomorrow's extra half-mile should not inconvenience him, as he has already won over the trip, and he is selected to confirm his Cheltenham superiority.

The John Hughes Trophy Chase, over one circuit of the Grand National course, looks a wide-open race.

But there is much to like about the chances of Noyan, who hails from Kevin Ryan's Hambleton Lodge yard.

A former high-class chaser with Richard Fahey, Noyan was sidelined for the whole of last season, but is gradually recovering his form.

He finished a creditable fifth in the Kim Muir Chase at Cheltenham last month and would not need to improve much on that display to get involved in the business end of proceedings here.

It is anyone's guess how Noyan will handle these unique fences, but then that unknown quantity applies to virtually every other horse in the race.

Khayrawani is fancied to repeat his 1998 success in the Oddbins Handicap Hurdle.

Christy Roche's talented gelding underlined his well-being when winning last month's Coral Cup at the Festival and has every chance of following-up here.

The Perrier Jouet Handicap Chase looks a difficult race to solve, but The Land Agent is awarded the nap vote.

A decent horse on his day, The Land Agent has run consistently well this season without gaining his just rewards. Opportunity could well come knocking for him tomorrow.

Tomorrow's Tips

Aintree

2.00 Barton

2.35 Call Equiname

3.10 His Song

3.45 Noyan

4.20 King's Road

4.50 Khayrawni

5.20 The Land Agent (NAP)

SEDGEFIELD

2.10 Sefton Blake

2.45 Eriny

3.20 Hiltonstown Lass

3.55 Royal Mountbrowne

4.30 Barnburgh Boy

5.00 Es Go

5.30 Moving Arrow

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.