POSITIVE PROFILE'S latest form figures don't exactly make pleasant reading, but that could all change if he can buck his ideas up at Catterick and win the Wakefield Beginners' Chase.

Trainer Patrick Haslam's decision to switch the former classy Flat racer and hurdler to fences has thus far failed to click, seeing as he fell on his chasing debut at Kempton and then suffered the ignominy of being pulled up at Newcastle.

Nonetheless, given his excellent efforts over hurdles last season, there's no doubt Positive Profile (3.20) is capable of eventually getting the hang of fences, especially as he has the size and scope to make a grand old-fashioned type of chaser.

Throwing in the towel this early for an individual as good as Haslam's is rather premature, therefore I reckon Positive Profile worth another chance to get it right and have little hesitation in recommending a small each-way wager in the £6,000 contest.

Zanjeer (12.50) showed a neat turn of foot when scoring over track and trip on his jumping debut, so even the imposition of a statutory 7lbs penalty may not be enough to stop him maintaining his 100 per cent record in the opening Halifax Novices' Hurdle.

Noel Wilson's five-year-old had no problem dealing with the second home, Millagros, on that occasion, and in view of the fact that the latter went on to skittle her opponents at Musselburgh next time out, there can be no cribbing the merit of Zanjeer's performance.

Having previously notched six of his seven career victories at Sedgefield, Lord Capitaine proved a bit of a revelation when storming to a six-length track-and-trip success on December 16.

Lord Capitaine doesn't do anything in a hurry, though with over three-miles-and-one-furlong to gallop in the Ilkley Handicap Chase he's got plenty of time to assert and make use of his seemingly limitless reserves of stamina.

Bill Turner did exceptionally well to win four selling races on the bounce last summer with Goldhill Prince (12.30).

Even though they were on grass, Goldhill Prince hinted that he might be every bit as effective on polytrack when returning from a long absence to finish a close-up fourth at Wolverhampton last week.

Turner's three-year-old now switches venue to Lingfield and in the knowledge he'll definitely have improved fitness-wise for that recent spin, gets a strong vote of confidence for the opener at the Surrey course, the Bet Direct Apprentice Claiming Stakes.

Nawow, who landed a bookie-bashing gamble at the course when supported from 12-1 to half of those odds, makes plenty of appeal to complete a double in the most valuable event on the card, the £10,000 Bet Direct Handicap over a mile-and-a-half.

Eddie Ahern's partner stuck his head out in game fashion when repelling the stern late challenge of Otago, bravery which is worth a few pounds in any discerning punter's book because you know the horse is always going to battle at the business end of the race.

* Graham Lee returns to action with one ride at Catterick today - his first since fracturing his right arm in a fall at Doncaster at the end of November.

The Grand National-winning jockey had to have a six-inch plate inserted into his arm following the incident and was passed fit to ride on Monday. Lee will partner Lord Capitaine for Howard Johnson in the Ilkley Handicap Chase at the North Yorkshire venue, before heading to Kelso tomorrow and Warwick on Saturday, where he will ride Grattan Lodge in the totesport Classic Chase.

Get more on racing at our Racing North site.