SHARP BELLINE has the class to defy top-weight in today's Betfred Handicap Hurdle at Sedgefield.

Sue Smith's seven-year-old also has to overcome a 179-day absence, but he's won after similar breaks before, which augurs well for supporters of the gelding in the £5,500 contest.

Prospective backers requiring further evidence prior to getting out their wallets or purses can also take heart from the fact that Sharp Belline (4.10) has dropped in the handicap ratings over the past 12 months from 111 to 105.

There is further assistance from his young conditional jockey, who is set to take another 10lb off the selection's back, giving rise to the ruse that an each-way bet might not go amiss in what appears to be a wide-open race.

Trying to kick the card off by sussing out the first home in the John Wade Skip Hire Selling Handicap Hurdle is easier said than done, due in no small part to the miserable level of inconsistency demonstrated by the 12 horses lining up to do battle.

By far and away the most prolific winner in the field is In Good Faith (1.50), who if on his best behaviour is capable of whipping the pants off his rivals.

The fitness of Ronnie Barr's veteran must be taken on trust following his long summer at grass, but if anywhere near cherry-ripe, then he must make the frame.

Considering the dearth of chasers around, the late, great, Arthur Stephenson would have been delighted at the number of horses competing for the novices chase run in his memory.

Rival Bidder will likely go to post favourite, but I'm going to take a chance on Tee-Jay, who rather ignominiously has been pulled up on each of his last two outings.

Micky Hammond's representative clearly has some sort of problem, but when on song Tee-Jay is a pretty smart cookie, so with the proviso of keeping stakes to a minimum, he just gets the nod.

Let's hope the predicted gale force winds and heavy rain don't force the abandonment of any of the three meetings, including Cheltenham, where the executive have laid on a cracking jumps fixture.

In particular, the Jewson Handicap Hurdle is an absolute corker with several in-form young timber stars bidding to lift the £20,000 two-miler. Despite the certainty that lowly-weighted Goblet Of Fire is bound to attract heavy market support as he hails from the premises of top trainer, Paul Nicholls, there might be better value to be obtained elsewhere.

In search of this financially worthy cause, I'm recommending a peek at the other end of the handicap with the Ginger McCain-trained Flame Phoenix (4.20).

A son of the all-conquering champion flat sire, Sadler's Wells, the sheer quality of Flame Phoenix's latest success at Towcester was highlighted when the runner-up in that race, Kingston Town, subsequently hammered a classy bunch at Chepstow.

For the nap I am relying on Oh So Rosie's (5.10) known ability to handle soft ground in the closing Eventguard Handicap at Yarmouth.

Stan Moore's mare invariably comes good at this time of year, and with the reliable John Egan doing the steering, she could pop up at a decent price in what is a hard-to-solve getting out of jail seven-furlong climax.