TRAINER John Upson's good record at Sedgdefield has a good chance of being upheld by Bowles Patrol (3.35) this afternoon.

Bowles Patrol, who won over course and distance in November 2001, has been lightly campaigned so far this season, running just three times. He's not been pulling up any trees either, although it's easy to understand why because until recently Upson's horses have been palpably out-of-sorts.

But with the advent of Spring his team has staged a welcome revival, considerably boosting the prospects of Bowles Patrol in the principal contest on the card, the £6,500 carpets-online.co.uk Handicap Chase.

Bowles Patrol carries plenty of confidence, but even more fancied in this quarter is Sue Smith's improving five-year-old Tomenoso (4.05), who lines up for the two-mile-and-five-furlong Top Bombing Handicap Hurdle.

Jockey Warren Marston was seen at his power-packed best when landing a gamble aboard the selection at Wetherby over two miles last time out. I reckon the combination will further progress for the step-up in trip and should not be missed in the £4,800 contest.

Richard Lee's stable, which is situated on the Welsh Borders, has been churning out a few winners lately, a trend all set to be continued by Stormhill Stag (3.55) in the Elizabeth Finn Handicap Chase at Exeter.

As a result of three victories during 2002, Lee's eleven-year-old shot 15lb up the ratings, making life very difficult for the gelding. Fortunately he's now slipped back a few pounds and there was also plenty of heart to be taken from his latest effort at Chepstow, where he finished a meritorious runner-up to an up-and-coming young chaser, Rudolph Rassendyll, trained by Venetia Williams.

West-country handler David Gandolfo used to be a force to be reckoned with in his neck of the woods, but his fortunes have taken a terrible turn for the worse over the past couple of years.

The spiral was not helped when one of his better inmates, Candarli, ran a stinker at Kempton in late December. This was put down to unsuitably soft ground, but there can be no such excuses today because the March Handicap Hurdle is due to be run on a far quicker surface.

Overall Candarli (4.55) has some decent efforts to his name, including a narrow success at Wincanton just over a year ago. With trip and ground to suit, the seven-year-old might just provide the tonic Gandolfo so desperately requires.

Finishing second six times in a row is the sort of sickening bad luck no-one likes to encounter.

Regrettably, that has been the fate to befall Channahrlie (2.10), who might finally have found the ideal opportunity to go one better in the Halam Chase at Southwell.

The main reason for optimism stems from Channahrlie's latest outing at Ascot, where he chased home Ballybrophy. It's a run which has turned out to be rock-solid as the latter has gone on to claim another decent staying prize at Warwick.

Mick FitzGerald's booking for the ultra-consistent mare Martha Reilly (4.15) could make the difference between victory and defeat in the Dine In Style Handicap.

Southwell's bigger-than-average hurdles require more of a steeple chase-type approach blending perfectly with FitzGerald's sympathetic style.

* Altay has really taken to the jumping game and after putting up an impressive performance in the Tote Trifecta Hurdle at Wetherby yesterday he has an important date at Haydock in six weeks' time.

The Richard Fahey-trained gelding was given a confident ride by conditional jockey Padge Whelan, who eased him into the lead approaching the penultimate flight and the race was all over bar a fall.

He went on to pass the post with rather more in hand than the six-length margin suggested and was making it two wins from three outings over hurdles this season, having also scored twice on the all-weather during the winter.

Fahey said: ''This good to firm ground suits him, he jumps well.

''I'd like to have a crack at the Swinton Hurdle (at Haydock on May 3) with him. I have another race in mind for him first and I think he will get in the handicap.''

Florries Son continues on the upgrade and defied top weight in pleasing fashion in the hands of another conditional jockey, Paul Robson, in the Jim Dent 'Lifetime In Racing' Novices' Hurdle.

Deep Water was raised 10lb for his win at Market Rasen last time out but defied the official assessor in the hands of Tony Dobbin in the Plantronics Handicap Chase.

Trainer Micky Hammond said: ''The ground was quick enough for him and I must admit I thought 10lb for last time was plenty - he's always taking on young, improving horses now.''

Mary Reveley will be keeping her fingers crossed that her team has turned the corner with Left Bank having provided her with her second success in three days under a good ride from Alan Dempsey in the Leprechaun Novices' Handicap Chase.

Dempsey sent Left Bank into the lead approaching the final fence and kept him right up to his work to hold the renewed challenge of Quarterstaff by three-quarters of a length.

Mrs Reveley's husband George said: ''Our horses have been wrong. We haven't been able to put a finger on it.

"They have looked well but haven't run their races and hopefully things are on the mend."

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