Patrick Haslam, who has had four winners from his last six runners on the Flat and over hurdles, can carry on the good work at Southwell today with Maunby Raver, who has sound prospects in the Bet Direct On 0800 329393 Nursery over seven furlongs.

The juvenile has shaped well on all of his three starts at each of the sand courses and ran as though the step up to this trip would suit when beating Gerard Butler's After All at Lingfield last time.

He's up in the weights again and has a wide draw to overcome, but he looks the type to keep on improving for his very shrewd handler and he's again ridden by promising apprentice Rory Moore.

Haslam can also be on the mark with Maunby Rocker, who is taken to go close in division one of the littlewoodspoker.com Handicap over a mile.

This course and distance winner is still relatively unexposed on this surface and, although he's not run on sand since February, he's won twice over hurdles at Uttoxeter and Catterick.

Division Two can go to Paul Blockley's Noble Pursuit, who hasn't won for some time but who shaped well on his first run for the yard last time and should be all the better for that outing.

Bryan Smart's horses have been running well in the main on sand and his Ellen Mooney looks nap material in the betdirect.co.uk Fillies Handicap over the same trip.

The four-year-old's pedigree suggested she'd relish the surface and that proved the case when she won on her all-weather debut over this course and distance in October, narrowly beating Pharaoh's Gold.

That form was boosted when the runner-up went on to win at Wolverhampton and, although my selection finished well beaten on turf last time, she had little chance from her high draw.

Cloud Dancer, who shaped well over seven furlongs at Wolverhampton last time, has a good chance at the weights against some unreliable rivals in the Bet Direct Press Red To Bet Claimer over the same trip.

The jumps meetings at Ayr and Newcastle are under threat from frost.

But there's plenty of opportunities at each venue should they be given the green light, and at Newcastle Mister Chisum appeals in the closing two-mile handicap hurdle. The seven-year-old is back on a decent mark and shaped as though coming to hand over this course and distance last time.

Ferdy Murphy's Gortmore Mews is also on a decent-looking mark and could be the pick of the weights in the Nitex Computer Fairs Handicap Chase over three miles.

The gelding has run with credit in defeat on two recent starts after a lengthy break but seems a much better jumper these days and he's been crying out for the step-up to this trip.

At Ayr the best bet on the card could be course and distance winner Family Venture, who is heading in the right direction and will take plenty of beating in the Eglington Novices Handicap Chase over two miles and five furlongs.

* Punters face the prospect of being without jumps racing to day after both Ayr and Newcastle announced precautionary morning inspections.

A sharp frost was forecast at the Scottish track overnight, rising to only plus three or four during the day.

Newcastle will look at 7.30am, with frost forecast at the track overnight.

Clerk of the course James Armstrong said: ''We had a frost last night and although it's not got into the ground, there are one or two areas which are exposed that have a slight frost on them."