WHEN leading owner David Johnson shelled out a European record £340,000 for the Leicester-bound ex-French star Magnus (1.35) I don't think he was expecting to discover he might have been sold a pup.

But since Magnus crossed the English Channel a year ago last month the six-year-old gelding has run just three times and recouped a paltry £582 as a result of finishing third in a novices' chase at Newton Abbot.

For those of you with long memories it's shades of centre forward Gary Birtles' 1980 £1.25m transfer from Nottingham Forest to Manchester United, when the lanky bearded striker took 11 months before he netted a League goal for his new team.

Unlike Birtles' manager at the time, Dave Sexton, trainer Martin Pipe hasn't been sacked, neither is Pipe a man to take failure lying down.

So he'll have done his level best to get Magnus spot-on for today's two-and-a-half-mile Manny Bernstein Novices' Chase at the Midlands venue.

Pipe could easily have lined up Magnus for an egg-and-spoon race at the likes of Plumpton, but the fact that he's prepared to take on useful customers such as Jonjo O'Neill's Joss Naylor suggests he reckons he has Johnson's expensive purchase right back on song.

Less excitement is anticipated in the following lowly two-mile Selling Hurdle, although at least the prize money may well return to our region courtesy of Mary Reveley's Lady Lap Dancer (2.05).

She's only a moderate filly, but then it is only a moderate race and the manner with which Lady Lap Dancer disposed of her rivals in a similar standard contest at Kelso suggests she's well up to completing the double.

Former top jump jockey Peter Scudamore has joined forces with the ambitious Hereford-based handler Dennis Caro.

The new partnership is working out very nicely and the combination are represented by the useful six-year-old mare Zaffranni in the near three-mileHandicap Chase at 2.35.

Having routed a decent field at Newbury, a couple a sloppy jumps cost Zaffranni dear at Wetherby last time out. She was merrily bowling along in front until giving the fifth last fence the sort of clout that would have put most horses out of contention.

Instead of capitulating she then fought her way back into second spot until a similarly unplanned blunder, two fences from home, finally put paid to her prospects.

Provided Zaffranni gives her obstacles just a little bit more respect, she has the class to bounce back and remain a young chaser to follow this term.

Best bet at Lingfield on the Polytrack may well prove to be Aswan (12.45) in the seven-furlong Bet Direct Handicap.

Tim Etherington has rejuvenated Sir Michael Stoute's cast-off and with the former eleven-times champion jockey Pat Eddery in the saddle we can have no fears the nap selection will be the subject of an ill-judged ride.

* Howard Johnson's Direct Route side-stepped a clash with Cenkos and company in the Mitsubishi Tingle Creek Chase at Sandown last week and is now likely to head for Doncaster on Saturday instead.

Direct Route has not been seen out since finishing third to Fadalko in the Martell Melling Chase at Aintree in April 2001, and Johnson reasoned: ''The ground was against him at Sandown and I am glad we did not go down there.

''He would not have beaten Cenkos and he could have had a very hard race for nothing and that could have put us back to square one.

''We have been very patient with him. I am happier with him than I have been for a long time, he looks well, his skin is good and he seems happy in himself.

''I want to get a run into him somewhere so he can get familiar with the racecourse atmosphere again, the rails, a jockey on his back and the hustle and bustle of a race.

''He is in at Haydock the same day as well, and we will go where the best ground is.

"I should think that will be Doncaster and if he runs well there then we can really get on with it and get him ready for the Castleford Chase at Wetherby on Boxing Day.'

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