ROSE DAVISON, currently boasting a magnificent 43 per cent strike rate with six wins from only 14 rides, could improve that record if Harry Hooly (1.20) puts his best foot forward at Hexham today.

Rose gets a great tune out of Harry Hooly, who romped to a runaway victory on his latest visit to the track in November.

Admittedly the selection has since been turned over at Carlisle, but there's no doubt that Harry Hooly reserves his best for the Northumberland course, so a return to winning form would be far from a surprise in the Powergen Amatuer Riders Handicap Hurdle.

Another young jockey currently making a favourable impression in the north is Tom Greenall, partner of the strongly fancied Dix Bay (1.50).

Dix Bay very nearly foiled the hat-trick seeking Brave Vision at Newcastle last week when getting to within a half-length of Alistair Whillans' progressive gelding.

Th pair drew well clear of the third horse, and it's hard to envisage anything other than Dix Bay giving his backers a massive run for their money in the extended two-mile Ribchester Accountants Handicap Hurdle.

Tony Dobbin and Lenny Lungo have been mopping up race after race during the past six weeks, a trend which appears all set to continue courtesy of Wild Cane Ridge (1.20).

Wild Cane Ridge simply toyed with his opponents at Carlisle on November 25, making every yard of the running at a sensible married man's gallop, prior to injecting an explosive burst of acceleration once "Dobbs" shifted into overdrive from the second last flight.

No trainer has his staying chasers in better fettle than Ferdy Murphy, a point underlined when Mac's Supreme cruised to an effortless success at Newcastle 16 days ago.

Ferdy now turns his attentions to the longest event of the day at Bangor, where Mac's Supreme (1.40) must surely take all of the beating in the three-mile-and-six-furlong Corbett Bookmakers Handicap Chase.

Sue Smith has decided to bring The Kew Tour (2.10) back over the smaller obstacles after spending the 2003/2004 season tackling steeplechase fences.

Although it's a bit of a gamble, especially with the Grand National runner-up Clan Royal trying the same trick, I still believe Sue's representative will have too much speed for his rivals come the finale of the Alfa Aggregates Handicap Hurdle.

It was disappointing for followers of the nap at Lingfield recently when, despite being clear in the Official Ratings, Piquet (3.00) failed to deliver.

It wasn't exactly a no-brainer of a ride by George Baker, but I'm sure in retrospect he wished he had not given the leaders quite so much rope by loitering at the back of the field for much of the one-mile affair.

This afternoon the combination wage war again at the same course, only this time Baker has a handy extra two furlongs in which to make his move - a step up in trip that should ensure a welcome return to the winners' circle in the Greenacre Homes Banded Stakes.

* German champion jump jockey Peter Gehm is in an artificial coma following a fall when riding out for Christian von der Recke. The rider, 35 today, was completing his final lot of the day and only doing a slow canter when he fell against a fence, suffering multiple injuries including damage to his spinal column.

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