THE spectacular fall from grace of one-time Epsom Derby fancy Zaajer is just about complete now that trainer Jim Old has opted to run the six-year-old in the lowly Stan James Selling Hurdle at Hereford.

A little over three-and-a-half years ago Zaajer won a listed race at York's May meeting prior to going off a well-backed 16-1 each-way shot for the 1999 Derby worth well over £600,000 to the winner.

Despite plenty of pre-race confidence from top Newmarket handler Ed Dunlop, responsible for Zaajer at the time, the superbly-bred son of Silver Hawk finished out with the washing in the Epsom showpiece, marking the beginning of a steady decline into obscurity.

Zaajer was switched from flat to jumps last term and although he did show a little promise in his first three outings over hurdles, there was no fairytale ending to his campaign when he was ignominiously pulled up at Huntingdon in January.

Today the selection pays a visit to the last chance saloon, participating in a race worth a paltry £1,500. It's a far cry from those heady days when he was taking on some of the top middle-distance horses in the world, but it does at least represent a chance to salvage something from the wreckage of a once highly promising career.

In the following three-mile-and-one-furlong Novices' Chase, Young Ottoman (1.45) has the class to get off the mark over fences at only the second time of asking.

On his chasing debut at Newbury Young Ottoman was beaten less than a length in a thrilling three-way photo finish. Considering he'd been out of action since March it was a terrific effort by Victor Dartnell's raider, a gelding with bags of scope to succeed over the bigger obstacles.

With the accumulation of much more expensive horses, Mark Johnston has slashed his all-weather string to the bone.

However, that is not to say Johnston doesn't like to keep one or two on the go for the sand and he could well come away from Lingfield with a double via Big Luciano (12.35) and Ransom O'War (2.35).

Big Luciano seems certain to appreciate the step-up to a mile-and-a-quarter in the Bet Direct Maiden Stakes, while the improving Ransom O'War, an emphatic scorer at Southwell last week, has the right credentials to follow up in the £7,000 Littlewoods Championship Novice Stakes at Lingfield.

In the six-furlong Lynhurst Classified Stakes, the dash-for-the-cash could well go to the well-weighted Jodeeka (1.35).

Jeremy Glover's mare has bounced back admirably since being tried on the all-weather surfaces. First of all Jodeeka blitzed her rivals at Wolverhampton and then was not beaten far in a competitive sprint at Southwell.

I've a feeling the five-year-old will be even better suited by the lightning fast polytrack at the Surrey venue and accordingly she is awarded the nap vote.

* Telemoss has a Boxing Day date at Kempton Park after making it two wins out of two over fences with the minimum of fuss under Tony Dobbin in the Jooglie Brig Novices' Chase at Kelso yesterday.

He boasted some smart form over hurdles and has certainly taken to the chasing game, travelling well and jumping well from the outset for Dobbin in the three mile, one furlong test.

Sending him into the lead at the final fence, Dobbin asked him to do no more than was required in the very testing ground to hold the renewed challenge from Clonshire Paddy by a length.

Telemoss will now step up in class and trainer Nicky Richards said: ''He jumped great, but ideally ground on the easy side of good suits him best. He has springs in his feet - we will have to see how he is, but we are looking at the Feltham Chase at Kempton now.''

Telemoss was continuing the purple patch for his owner David Stevenson, chairman of Ashleybank Investments, who said: ''I think that is our 20th winner of the season. We have 35 horses in training and they are the best bunch we have ever had, but only half have run so far.''

Dobbin is now only one short of a half century for the season, having initiated a double on Lenny Lungo's True North, who proved nine lengths too good for his stable companion Ballystone in the Millhouse Hospitality 'National Hunt' Novices' Handicap Hurdle

True North headed the market at 2-1 with his stable companion a 9-4 chance, and Lungo admitted: ''I honestly did not know which would come out best.

''Ballystone is the more reliable and jumps better, while the other is careless with his jumping, but I thought I had better run both because we might have been missing the chance of a winner.''

He added with a smile: ''True North wants three miles and I think we will have to school him over fences, but I think his rider would need a drink or two first''!

Third season trainer Andrew Parker gained his biggest success when Hugo De Grez put up a game staying performance under Brian Storey to win the £20,000 Tote Placepot Champion Chase (Showcase Handicap).

* Trainer Willie Mullins confirmed yesterday that Saturday's Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup hero Be My Royal has been retired. The eight-year-old suffered a tendon injury while racing to a half-length victory over Gingembre in the £105,000 Newbury feature.

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