JOHN QUINN concentrates mainly on the Flat these days but he still has the occasional jumps' runner, such as A Bit Of Fun (2.20) at Ludlow.

Being a son of the great Classic-winning sire Unfuwain, out of a mare by the legendary Mill Reef, A Bit Of Fun was fully entitled to justify 5-2 favouritism and win a lowly selling event at Doncaster last time out.

Possessing such a blue-blooded pedigree certainly suggests he's capable of stepping up on that effort, and the Crohane Stud Novices' Handicap Hurdle might just be the race in which he really begins to blossom and make his mark on the winter game.

Dual Grand National-winning jockey Carl Llewellyn, one of the senior riders in the weighing room, is enjoying yet another good season partnering the likes of Maxie McDonald (2.50).

The combination has an excellent record, including finishing a gallant second to Zaffamore in a race run in fast time over track and trip in December.

There's another compelling reason to back Maxie McDonald, seeing as he's a game and genuine customer, not given to going down without a fight.

Even when he was in training on the level with Mark Johnston at Middleham, Dunlea Dancer (1.00) always looked like a potentially smart National Hunt performer.

West-country handler Philip Hobbs was clearly of the same opinion because he snapped up the gelding in a private deal and proceeded to send out Dunlea Dancer to collect on his timber debut at Wincanton.

The strapping four-year-old returns to that venue this afternoon and, provided he's in the same sort of order, will be a very hard horse to beat in the opening two-mile £4,700 Novices' Hurdle.

Hobbs and his stable jockey, Richard Johnson, could also double-up in the finale with Big Bone (4.00). Taking into account his immense size and scope, Big Bone's long-term future is without question as a steeplechaser.

However, judged by the ease of his hurdles' success just seven days ago, there's still plenty of money to be made over the smaller obstacles.

Wolverhampon's card gets under way with a mile-and-a-half claiming contest in which Stallone (1.10) holds outstanding prospects.

Noel Wilson's raider is far better on turf than the majority of his rivals, but until recently he had shown precious little when tried on the all-weather surfaces.

Thankfully the penny seems to have now dropped on the polytrack for Stallone, who failed by a whisker to catch Sun Hill at the course last week.

Wilson has wasted no time at all in whipping his charge out for a quick-fire comeback, which if all goes to plan should result in victory for the eight-year-old chestnut gelding.

Newmarket trainer Gay Kelleway is known to hold her four-year-old grey Vamose (3.40) in extremely high regard, surely a tip in itself for her representative in the extended one-mile Littlewoods Bet Direct Apprentice Handicap.