Father Krismas, a horse with a bright future over jumps, can gain his first National Hunt win tomorrow at Ludlow.

The four-year-old, successful on the Flat last season in a ten furlong maiden race at Nottingham when trained by Paul Cole, promises to take plenty of beating in the Marshbrook maiden Hurdle.

Now with Paul Nicholls in Somerset, Father Krismas made his debut over timber at Warwick 12 days ago and ran a race full of promise to finish third to Flush, beaten only two lengths.

Likely to have benefited from that experience, Father Krismas can deliver the goodies tomorrow.

Nicholls and jockey Joe Tizzard can complete a double with Rockforce in the Longmynd Novices' Handicap Chase.

The seven-year-old comes into this race after a very easy success at Folkestone earlier this month and, despite the welter burden of 12 stones, he promises to oblige again.

Knightsbridge Scot is not without a winning chance in the Annual Members Handicap Chase.

Trained by Venetia Williams the eight-year-old ran with credit on his reappearance at Towcester last month, finishing third to Danger Flynn after tiring from the penultimate fence.

That run should have done Knightsbridge Scot good and it would come as no surprise to see him take the major honour hers.

At Taunton, Perfect Venue can continue the excellent run being enjoyed by trainer Nicky Henderson and jockey Mick Fitzgerald, who were each associated with three winner on Monday.

Perfect Venue scored over this course and distance last month when beating the useful Mersey Beat by three-quarters of a length. A follow-up looks on the cards in the Yarcombe Novices' Hurdle.

Careysville has plenty going for him in the £10,000 Coral Showcase Handicap Chase.

Venetia Williams' gelding made a successful return to action at Folkestone last week and a 5lb penalty for that win might not be enough to anchor him here. Norman Williamson again has the mount.

Cento makes plenty of appeal in the Levy Board January Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Hurdle.

The six-year-old, trained by Sue Williams, gained a deserved success over this course and distance three weeks ago when running on strongly to beat the 3-1 favourite Upham Surprise by six lengths.

Cento has slightly more on his plate tomorrow but, with Michael Brennan in the saddle, he is napped to double his score.

Bleak prospects for Ascot card on Friday

Ascot's hopes of staging an eight-race card on Friday are under threat after more rain.

Clerk of the course Nick Cheyne said: "It's very wet again. The going remains heavy on the hurdle course and soft, heavy in places on the chase course but quite a bit of the hurdles course is not raceable at present."

Contingency plans have been made to run a card of five chases, including the Victor Chandler Chase - already moved from last Saturday's meeting which was abandoned due to waterlogging - if the wet weather fails to relent.

Cheyne added: "It is supposed to get drier but I don't know if it will be in time to make the hurdle track raceable."

Leicester's meeting next Tuesday has been revised. The hurdles races have been abandoned because of waterlogging.

The chase course is in better condition so four extra chase races have been added to Tuesday's programme to make a six-race all-chases card.

Guarded hope for Princeful

Jenny Pitman is no more than "hopeful" that her 2000 Cheltenham Gold Cup hope Princeful will be able to race again.

X-rays show that her high-class staying hurdler fractured a pedal bone in his left hind leg when coming to grief on his first run over fences on Monday.

The trainer, who initially thought the gelding had just sprained a joint, said Princeful had "a comfortable night."

She added in a statement: "The prognosis for a return to racing, whilst we are hopeful, must be guarded"

The eight-year-old suffered his injury on his chasing debut in a novice event at Doncaster in which he came to grief at the seventh-last fence.

"A plaster cast has been placed over the foot without the shoe being removed in order to stabilise the fracture and reduce movement of the foot and pastern to a minimum," added the trainer.

Tomorrow's tips

LUDLOW

1.10...............Father Krismas

1.40......................Drakestone

2.10........Knightsbridge Scot

2.40........................Rockforce

3.10......Lady Of Gortmerron

3.40..........High In The Cloud

4.10..............Count Campioni

TAUNTON

1.20..................Perfect Venue

1.50..............Doctor Bravious

2.20.......................Careysville

2.50.......................Santabless

3.20...........................Playlord

3.50.....................Cento (Nap )

4.20....................Atlantic Mist

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