by Tom O'Ryan

Into Battle goes into battle at Market Rasen tomorrow with excellent prospects of emerging triumphant.

The four-year-old, narrowly beaten on his debut, goes for the Farmers Standard National Hunt Flat Race carrying the banner of Settrington trainer, John Quinn, who landed a similar event at Catterick yesterday with Twenty Winks.

Into Battle made his public bow at Warwick last month and finishing strongly throughout the final furlong, failed by only a head to catch L'Idefix. Some readers of that race considered him an unlucky loser, having been asked for his effort a fraction too late, and Graham Bradley, the jockey on board, gets the chance to put the record straight tomorrow.

Likely to have benefited from his first outing, Into Battle tackles a shorter distance this time. He is fancied to take all the beating.

Purevalue, who ducked a race at Catterick yesterday, turns out instead in the Wheatley Packaging Novices' Chase and will have the assistance of jockey-of-the-moment Andrew Thornton, who is enjoying a vintage season.

Trained by Mick Easterby, Purevalue, a winning hurdler, has finished runner-up in his last two starts over fences. Opportunity comes knocking from him here to open his account.

Barnburgh Boy is fancied to get back in the winning groove in the Wheatley Packaging Juvenile Novices' Hurdle.

Tim Easterby's charge ran a fine race to finish fourth to Sad Mad Bad in a valuable contest at Haydock recently, and a reproduction of that form here would probably be good enough to give him the edge over the highly-rated Irish challenger Heritage.

In the Lincolnshire Agricultural Society Handicap Hurdle, Sigma Wireless can gain an overdue success. From the in-form Norton stable of Tim Etherington, the nine-year-old has been running respectably this winter without much reward.

Up at Ayr, Birkdale gets a confident nap vote in the James Barclay Memorial Handicap Hurdle.

Len Lungo's novice has gone from strength to strength this season, winning his last three races. At his best on soft ground over a distance of ground, he will have everything in his favour here. Robbie Supple has the mount.

Manful, a prolific winner on the Flat, can open his account over timber in the Loch Enough Novices' Handicap Hurdle.

Linda Perratt's six-year-old has finished in the frame in all his four starts this season and chased home Heart Of Avondale over this course and distance last month.

The Arthur Challenge Cup Handicap Chase could be an opportunity for Nicholas Plant to regain the winning thread.

The Jim Goldie-trained nine-year-old has had a luckless season by taking a couple of falls over fences, but he will have benefited from a recent confidence-booster over hurdles.

Nicholas Plant has a good record on this course and likes soft ground. He should not be overlooked in the hands of smart conditional, Scott Taylor.

Howayman, a winner at Musselburgh last month, is taken to double his score for trainer-rider Kevin Anderson in the Ayrshire Agricultural Association Hunter's Challenge Cup.

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