Monsignor, the best winner of the Anglo Irish Bank Tolworth Hurdle in the last eight years, prefaced his Sandown success with victory in the Kennel Gate Hurdle at Ascot. The same race has also since pointed the way to subsequent Tolworth winners Lingo and Marcel, and Deep Purple can maintain the trend this afternoon.
Winning his fifth consecutive race at Ascot, Deep Purple (2.40) has rarely been headed, let alone defeated, and it is hard to say how good he is. Evan Williams, his trainer, believes in the seven-year-old, so much so that Deep Purple may be given a Champion Hurdle entry.
The gelding's form claims are sound in what does not appear a vintage renewal of the Tolworth. Soft ground is the unknown factor, but Deep Purple showed some ability on it in his days racing on the Flat, unlike rival Alsadaa.
In contention when he fell three out at Kempton in October, in the race where Deep Purple beat French Opera, Alsadaa put up a fine effort behind handicap good thing Jack The Giant at Ascot. He will be a danger to all if he copes with the ground.
Conversely, it looks a case of the softer the better for Breedsbreeze, who looks very much a stayer. Henrietta Knight's Calgary Bay has a ton of potential, but his trainer has gone nearly a month without a winner and that has to be a worry.
Sandown 2.05 Master Minded, an expensive French purchase now racing in the Kauto Star colours, did not get very far on his first start for Paul Nicholls at Exeter. He ran in top novice events at Auteuil, but the handicapper has taken no chances in giving him a mark of 145. The value at a best price of 9-1 with Totesport could be All Star, who is unexposed over fences. Third in the Scilly Isles Chase here last season, he ran better than his finishing position suggests on his return at Cheltenham.
Wincanton 2.20 If all is well with Henrietta Knight's Harris Bay, this useful chaser should go well from his much lower hurdles rating. Even with top weight, however, Nakai could be fairly handicapped - he had the subsequent Cheltenham winner Hills Of Aran behind him when third to Lightning Strike at Sandown.
Sandown 3.10 The Pipe stable has a great record in handicap hurdles here. David won last season's Imperial Cup with the ex-French four-year-old Gaspara and, from the same background, Tino Tino could well have got in lightly. His new connections can hardly have failed to notice that Tino Tino was no less than 15 lengths ahead of Five Dream on one occasion at Auteuil and is now 6lb better off with the Nicholls inmate.
Wincanton 3.25 Going well when he tipped up at Cheltenham, course-and-distance winner Kaldouas can make amends.
Sandown 3.45 Runner-up in the 2006 Betfred Chase, Eric's Charm looked to be on the way back when running Crystal d'Ainay close at Exeter last month. The winner had a bit in hand, but Eric's Charm can take his revenge with the help of a 5lb pull in the weights.
Horse sense
Hughie Morrison has brought back horses to win from a lengthy absence before now, and Starzaan (1.45) can be another advert for the trainer's skills at Wincanton today. A smart hurdler at his best, Starzaan has been off the course for over 600 days but he has done lots of work and has schooled really well ahead of this, his chasing debut.
Yonder, who has accompanied Starzaan on the Morrison gallops, looked unlucky when second in the National Hunt Flat race at Cheltenham on New Year's Day, where she was given plenty to do. Successful in similar company at Exeter first time out, the filly can score again at this level before her attentions are turned to the Flat.
Back at Wincanton, Conkering (1.10) is of interest on his handicap debut over hurdles. James Fanshawe's five-year-old is not the bravest, but he has the ability to win off this mark if things go his way. Ben de Haan's Nom de Guerre (12.40) is worth another chance, having got bogged down in very bad ground up at Haydock last time out.
Squadron (1.30), a promising addition to the ranks of Alan King's juvenile hurdlers, is fancied for a winning debut at Sandown. The Nicky Henderson-trained All Star (2.05) is ready to show the benefit of a recent pipe-opener, and Carl Llewellyn is looking for a bold show from Fredensborg (3.10). This six-year-old ran a shade too freely on his comeback at Kempton, but with Tony McCoy riding close to his minimum weight, Fredensborg is likely to be a different proposition this time.
With blinkers on for the first time, Hoh Viss (1.20) should go well at Chepstow. Charlie Mann's eight-year-old is well handicapped over hurdles and he will find ground conditions ideal.
Sacrilege (1.05) and Vortex (3.20) are the best from Newmarket on Lingfield's all-weather card. Roger Charlton's Caprio must be given another chance when he reappears on the sand. Though favourite at Wolverhampton earlier this week, Caprio needed the run, his first since November, and in the circumstances he did well to finish second.
Seen and heard
There was always a good chance that Kevin Darley would find media work after the 2000 Flat jockeys' champion retired from race-riding last November. Intelligent and articulate, Darley, we understand, is lined up to form part of the BBC's Flat racing team - though given the corporation's meagre output these days Darley will surely need to explore other avenues.
Kevin Ryan's Hambleton Lodge stable is one of the most progressive in the country, and the trainer is clearly planning more raids on the big southern meetings as he has bought an aeroplane for the forthcoming Flat season. Ryan has made some tasty purchases at the Keeneland Sales in America and, with a new assistant having joined the yard from Ireland, Ryan is set for a big year.
Racecourse commentators like to slip in the occasional "funny". One of John Hunt's almost got under the radar at Warwick on Monday, but not quite, as he called the runners into the home straight in the bumper race: "And it looks as though Toby Belch has got his second wind." Pardon?
Definition of optimism ... the Ginestri's ice-cream van parked outside the Princess Royal stand at Ayr on Wednesday - on the coldest day anyone could remember at the track for years.
Everyone will have to wait a bit longer for Britain's newest racecourse to open as Great Leighs in Essex announced yesterday that their first fixture will be on March 18 at the earliest and not February as had been hoped.
Ron Cox's tip of the day
Arctic Magic 12.15 Chepstow
Devon trainer Stuart Kittow looks to have found a suitable opportunity for the hurdling debut of Arctic Magic, who showed promise in two bumper starts last season. After trotting up by 13 lengths in soft ground on her debut here, she was third in a Listed race at Sandown, just two lengths behind the smart filly Theatre Girl. Castlecrossings was eighth that day and is vulnerable under a penalty.
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