UP-AND-COMING young jockey Doug Costello gets the chance to showcase his skills aboard Kirkham Abbey (1.30) in the opener at Sandown today.

Twice a winner on the level for top Newmarket handler Michael Jarvis, Kirkham Abbey is now in an equally safe pair of hands at John Quinn's stables just outside Malton.

Costello was in the saddle when the combination finished second behind Bagan at Ludlow last time out, so he knows what to expect in the jumping stakes from the versatile five-year-old.

Although Kirkham Abbey was beaten 25 lengths on that occasion, he didn't appear to see out the two-miles-and-five-furlongs.

Quinn has addressed the problem by dropping his long-distance raider back to just over two miles, a tactic confidently expected to bring about the right result.

Anna Newton-Smith's Come Bye went no less than 20 starts without winning a race of any description, then as if by magic she found the key to unlocking his ability, which has resulted in the improving gelding rattling off an impressive three-timer.

The Official Handicapper hasn't taken too kindly to the run of success, raising the selection a cool 25lb in the weights. It takes a pretty good horse to defy that sort of cruel hike, but the game front-running Come Bye (3.40) is proving to be very difficult to pass, a factor which will stand him in good stead up the diabolically stiff climb to the winning post.

Even though Wyoming (2.15) was pulled up on her latest foray to a racecourse, I'm still going to recommend a small each-way wager on Jedd O'Keeffe's four-year-old in the Selling Handicap Hurdle at Fakenham.

The reason Wyoming failed to complete at Wetherby last month is not difficult to explain. She seemingly hated the soft ground, and probably didn't have the requisite stamina reserves to cope with 20 furlongs in the mud.

This afternoon's challenge couldn't be much more of a contrast because she only has two miles to travel around arguably the sharpest and least demanding track in the country.

Wyoming also has the added advantage of racing on a much quicker surface, upon which she acted well when placed several times over middle distances on the Flat for her previous trainer, James Toller.

Backers of Sedge (4.40) may have to settle for a relatively miserly starting price, however all of the available evidence points towards him winning Wolverhampton's Littlewoods Pools Handicap without having to engage top gear.

Jockey Tony Culhane failed to obtain a clear run on Sedge over track and trip a fortnight ago. Fortunately for him there was sufficient time to switch away from the difficulties and pick up the leaders within the final 100 yards.

Such incidents rarely evade the eyes of assiduous form students, all of whom will realise that Sedge would have won far more easily had he enjoyed the benefit of a trouble-free passage.

* Martin Pipe yesterday branded the Jockey Club's decision to fine him £3,000 and ban jockey Jamie Moore for 21 days as ''ridiculous''.

The Pipe-trained Celtic Son, one of the ante-post market leaders for the new Brit Insurance Novices Hurdle at Cheltenham, will not be allowed to run for 40 days, which rules him out of the Festival.

Pipe and Moore appeared before the disciplinary panel following Celtic Son's fifth-place finish behind Salsalino in a novice event at Exeter last October.

The trainer was found in breach of rule 155 (ii) in that he failed to give adequate instructions to Moore to ensure the horse ran on its merits.

The rider was found guilty under rule 157 in that he failed to take all reasonable and permissible measures to gain the best possible placing with the intent to conceal the horse's ability.

Pipe said: ''It's ridiculous. Jamie has definitely hit the horse. He says he hit it every time he waved his whip, and I believe him."