TONY McCOY pays a rare visit to Sedgefield where he looks good to land the first two races aboard Our Prima Donna (1.40) and Red Flyer (2.10).

Our Prima Donna, who has yet to finish out of the first four on three outings over fences so far this term, tackles the Weatherbys Bank Maiden Chase, a woefully-weak affair that should theoretically be well within the compass of the Venetia Williams-trained raider.

Sadly McCoy's presence on Red Flyer will be scant compensation for those unlucky punters who backed the six-year-old at Newcastle last week.

Red Flyer, ridden by an inexperienced conditional jockey that day, had the race in safekeeping until making a total mess of the last flight, dumping his hapless rider on the landing side of the obstacle.

Trainer Patrick Haslam regularly books the reigning champion when available and now that McCoy has been given the green light on the Middleham representative, he may yet prove to be a penalty kick in the John Wade Selling Handicap Hurdle.

Three miles at Leicester is right down Sissinghurst Storm's (2.50) street for the Rabbit Handicap Chase.

Robin Dickin's seven-year-old only has a featherweight to carry in the £6,000 contest, which is sure to be run at a good clip throughout courtesy of a couple of confirmed front runners in the line-up.

Such a scenario will not pose any problems for Sissinghurst Storm, who I anticipate will lurk in the rear until jockey Ben Hitchcott asks for maximum effort once heads turn and face up to the long, gruelling, home straight.

Two starts ago Ireland's Eye scooted to an impressive track and trip victory, only to run like the proverbial drain at Newcastle last time out. Quite why he performed so dismally at the Tyneside venue is something of mystery, however if he's back on song then the SIS Handicap Hurdle could easily spark a revival in the fortunes of Ireland's Eye.

Long-suffering supporters of Sergeant Slipper (2.30) might finally be about to collect if as expected the Charles Smith-trained sprinter goes in at Southwell.

Sergeant Slipper is a devilishly difficult customer to catch right, but all the current indications are that he's about to peak in the five-furlong Bet Direct In Running Banded Stakes.

Another old favourite at the course, Haunt The Zoo (3.30), is also cherry-ripe to get back on the winning trail after a losing streak stretching back well over a year.

Haunt The Zoo likes to run round her horses, therefore it needn't be a worry that she's been drawn in stall 14, the so-called "coffin box", on the wide outside of the field.

* Following the threat of overnight frost, both Leicester and Sedgefield are staging inspections at 7.45am this morning.

* Brendan Powell proved the toast of the bookmakers at Fontwell Park yesterday as the trainer sent out three hard-to-fancy winners for the first treble of his training career at amazing combined odds of 23,330-1.

Waltzing Beau (20-1), Bubble Boy (100-1) and Old Buddy (10-1) all got on the scoresheet to give him a real day to remember.

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