MANTILLA (5.00) makes plenty of appeal in the Northern Echo Conditional Jockey's Handicap Hurdle at Sedgefield this afternoon.

Despite the fact only five runners turn out for our sponsored race, it is quite a competitive affair and Mantilla will have to be on her best behaviour to account for recent Cartmel scorer, Bobanvi.

The lowly selling contest that Bobanvi collected at the Lake District venue 13 days ago wasn't anything like as good as the race in which Mantilla most recently finished second at Market Rasen, and for that reason alone the latter just gets the nod.

To try to swell our wallets and purses fairly early on in proceedings a small wager on Milan King (2.50) is recommended.

The John Wade Skip Hire Selling Handicap Hurdle may not be the most glamorous contest in the world, but that need not matter from a punting point of view provided Milan King does the business and passes the post in first place.

John's support for the course has been invaluable over the past two decades, indeed it was a race from the same series that Milan King won over track and trip at the end of July.

Southern-based rider Richard Johnson is travelling to all points of the compass to try to maintain his lead in the jump jockeys' championship and his journey north may well be rewarded with a double via Laazim Afooz (3.25) and Dazzling Rio (3.55).

Laazim Afooz, who won over course and distance last term, is not exactly Speedy Gonzalez, however his fencing is normally pretty accurate and he definitely won't have to do anything in a hurry to take the marathon Sedgefield Paddock Bookmakers Chase.

Dazzling Rio has been found wanting for finishing pace over distances around two miles, therefore the decision of trainer Kate Milligan to step him up in trip for the Oliver Wendels Memorial Novices' Hurdle makes perfect sense.

Hat-trick seeking Hills Of Gold (3.35) heads for Haydoc, where the Kings Regiment Cup Handicap could be at his mercy.

Mick Easterby's gelding only has to shoulder a 6lb penalty for the race he won at Chester last week, which in effect still makes him at least one, or maybe even two, steps ahead of the official handicapper.

Best bet at Kempton is Boston Lodge, dropped into claiming company after making the ultra-smart Three Graces pull out all the stops at Salisbury a few days ago.

It was an excellent effort by the selection, though Boston Lodge (3.45) has been struggling to win off his current rating and true to form his Lambourn handler Paul Cole has not been afraid to slip down the ladder to give his horse a confidence-booster.

With the possible exception of Our Monogram (4.50) there are plenty of question marks over the majority of the field for the closing two-mile Royal Star & Garter Handicap.

Beaten by not much more than gnat's whisker on either of his last two outings, Our Monogram deserves a change a luck when the time comes to shovelling on the coal once the finishing line comes into view.

* Tamarillo is to spearhead a strong Michael Bell team for Doncaster at next week's Seabiscuit St Leger meeting when she tackles the Group Two May Hill Stakes next Thursday.

The two-year-old grey filly delighted Bell in a gallop on the watered ground at Newmarket and appears to have thrived since her odds-on success at Nottingham.

Bell said: ''The Nottingham form was given a boost when the runner-up, Doctrine, won at Yarmouth and I'm really sweet on Tamarillo.''

Another juvenile who is likely to represent Bell at Town Moor is Needles And Pins, whose target is the Group Two Polypipe Flying Childers Stakes a week tomorrow.

This filly, an authoritative winner of a Listed event at Newbury last time, has an alternative target in France, but Bell said: ''The race at Maisons-Laffitte is a Group Three while the Flying Childers is a Group Two and I don't think there will be that much difference in the strength of the fields.

''Needles And Pins handled the soft ground at Newbury and I won't mind if there's any rain.''

Bell saddles Dusky Warbler in next Thursday's GNER Doncaster Cup while his Shabernak is likely to take his chance in the Tote Exacta Mallard Stakes (Showcase Handicap) on the Friday.

* Darryll Holland is bitterly disappointed that the ground at Leopardstown has been artificially changed to good prior to tomorrow's Ireland the Food Island Champion Stakes, in which he rides leading hope Falbrav.

Holland has partnered Falbrav to victory in two Group Ones this season - the Coral-Eclipse and the Juddmonte International - over this trip of a mile and a quarter.

The Luca Cumani-trained five-year-old excels on fast ground and Holland said: ''It seems the management have watered for one horse, and it's not for mine."

Get more racing online at www.racing-north.co.uk.