Lord all the way

Heather Dalton's habitual pace-setter loves to bowl along in front, tactics that have already helped him pick up a couple of races at the ultra-sharp right-handed track so far this season.

Lord Of The Hill never saw another rival when recording a pillar-to-post triumph at the track last week and the 7lb penalty he incurred for the win doesn't look anything like sufficient to prevent him following up in the Fotocolo Novices' Handicap Chase.

Saafend Rocket (2.40) seems all set to maintain Henry Daly's excellent recent run of form in the Bonusprint Novices' Handicap Hurdle.

Previously in the care of Robin Dickin, Saafend Rocket had appeared to be a somewhat modest beast until switching to Daly's stable this year.

The change of scenery certainty worked the oracle for the five-year-old, who battled on gamely to gain his first win over the sticks at Ludlow last time out.

Much of trainer John Best's success has been achieved at Lingfield and there could be more to come at the course with Little Eye (1.30) in the Bet Direct Nursery.

After getting no joy whatsoever with Little Eye over sprint distances, Best opted to try his two-year-old over seven furlongs at Wolverhampton last Friday, an experiment which so nearly worked when his representative filled the runners-up spot.

The Maidstone-based handler now clearly feels the future of his improving juvenile lies with an even greater test of stamina since he has decided to go into unknown territory and give Little Eye a spin over a mile at the Surrey venue.

Such gambles do not always pay off, but Little Eye has been doing all his best work once heads are turned for home, so the extra distance might well make the difference between defeat and victory.

In the most valuable event on the card, the £10,000 Showcase Handicap, Gig Harbor (2.00) should not be missed.

Emma Lavelle is much better known as a National Hunt trainer, but she knows her onions on the Flat too and Gig Harbor demonstrated he was right back on song when narrowly touched off over 12 furlongs at the track in November.

Interestingly, connections have opted to drop back a quarter of mile for this afternoon's Littlewoods-sponsored contest, a ploy capable of bringing about the right result in race where several runners are either too high in the weights or simply not in good enough heart at present.

* Ferdy Murphy reports Truckers Tavern to be on course for the Tommy Whittle Chase at Haydock on Saturday week following a pleasing reappearance over hurdles at the Merseyside track.

The eight-year-old was fourth to Hidden Bounty in a handicap hurdle over two and three-quarter miles last Saturday in his first race since finishing second to Best Mate in the Tote Cheltenham Gold Cup in March.

''He's spot on and he goes for the Tommy Whittle,'' said Murphy. ''I was delighted with him. They outpaced him down the back and he stayed on and he handled the hurdles very well.

''Davy (Russell) was a little bit annoyed he didn't get a breather into him. He felt that if he had he would have run on a bit better.

''But he's come out of the race fantastic and let's hope it rains so that we get plenty of soft ground next time he runs.''

* Yesterday's all-weather Flat meeting at Wolverhampton was abandoned because of unsafe ground.

The problem was caused by water lying on a part of the track. Officials at the Midlands track inspected the course accompanied by senior jockeys Tony Culhane and Ian Mongan along with three trainers.

The fixture was called off about 20 minutes after the scheduled time of the first of eight races.

Wolverhampton is owned by Arena Leisure, whose director of racing Ian Renton, admitted that they do struggle with water on the track there.

''A very small part of the track has become sloppy. The track has drained as best as it can but it hasn't been able to cope with it,'' he told attheraces from Folkestone.

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