WITH £25,000 up for grabs in the two mile Showcase Handicap at Musselburgh it's no surprise that the Arundel-based trainer John Dunlop has opted to send Heir To Be (3.20) all the way up from his west Sussex stables.

The near 900-mile round-trip is a gruelling affair, but with only four days of the current turf Flat season remaining opportunities of such handsome pay days are fast running out for the likes of Heir To Be, who belatedly hit form with an emphatic success at Nottingham last week.

Heir To Be fits into the tried-and-tested formula of backing improving three-year-olds against their elders at this time of year, a policy which also profiles well with Dunlop's modus operandi of refusing to rush his younger horses. Frankie Norton, rider of Heir To Be, could well initiate a double by scoring on another long distance raider, Interstice (12.35) in the opening mile-and-a-half jwracing.com Handicap.

Norton, one of the most sought after lightweights in the business, has been snapped up by Devon-based Tony Newcombe to do the steering aboard Interstice, overdue a win having finished third over an inadequate ten furlongs at Ayr in September.

David Barron isn't afraid to keep his two-year-olds buzzing and if Dispol Peto (1.10) repeats the form of his second placing to Bond Playboy at Catterick yesterday, he is an absolute certainty in the five furlong November Selling Stakes.

Over the jumps at Kempton patience will be required waiting for Malcolm Jefferson's The Manse Brae (3.45) in the closing Home On The Hill Handicap Hurdle.

Given the right sort of ammunition Jefferson is pound-for-pound one of the best National Hunt trainers in the land. Time and again he comes up with the goods and the canny Malton-handler has cleverly placed The Manse Brae to complete a well-deserved hat-trick. Two of those successes were over hurdles, however, the latest, at Bangor, was achieved on his debut over fences. Jefferson's plan to revert to the smaller obstacles stems from the fact that he probably feels the smart six-year-old son of Roselier is still well enough in at the weights over timber. Down in the west country at Newton Abbot the all-conquering Martin Pipe and Tony McCoy combo should dominate proceedings with a strong possibility of claiming five of the seven races on the card.

Recent Taunton winner Aquarius (12.45) can get the ball rolling in the opening two-mile-one-furlong novices' hurdle.

Aquarius was considered good enough to run in Group company when campaigned on the level and in common with so many of Pipe young hurdlers he'll more-than-likely end up being successful in at least five or six similar events before the season is out.

McCoy's other four chances, Ideal Du Bois Beury (1.20), Maousse Honor (1.50), Tiger Grass (3.00), and Doucer Des Songes (3.30) all have the form in the book to take their respective races and for fans of multiple bets, a super yankee is advised on the fancied quintet.

* The drinks were on Janus yesterday when his nap, The Brewer (9-4), sluiced in at Folkestone

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