YEARS of hard graft have finally paid off for Graham Lee, currently standing on the 58-winner mark after a decade of trying to break through into the big-time of National Hunt racing.

Lee has now more than doubled last season's haul of 28, with the majority of those successes coming courtesy of Malcolm Jefferson, provider-in-chief with 19 of the scorers.

And the dynamic duo team up once more at Perth this afternoon via Trading Trouble (3.20) in the day's most valuable contest, the £14,000 Nelson Morrison Novices' Hurdle.

Time and again Jefferson unearths yet further talent from the juvenile ranks and Trading Trouble has not let the side down with a brace of back-to-back wins at Uttoxeter.

Improvement will be required if Lee's mount is to complete the hat-trick, but the fact that the promising five-year-old has won with such ease on his latest two outings suggests the step up in grade will not pose any problems.

Former Henry Cecil inmate Welsh Main (2.30), now in the care of Simon Magnier at Melsonby, near Richmond, is capable of causing a minor upset in the opening extended two mile Novices' Hurdle at the Scottish track.

With the presence of the highly-rated southern raider, Follow Lammtarra, in the field there's bound to be shed-loads of cash for the Venetia Williams-trained unbeaten five-year-old.

However, Perth's sharp course might not suit Follow Lammtarra, a remark which definitely does not apply to Welsh Main, who whizzed round Catterick's tight turns to collect on his sole start to date over the sticks.

Favourite backers look as if they're going to get off to a flyer at Beverley where Thaaqib (2.10) will surely oblige.

The odds of the John Dunlop-trained three-year-old are likely to be cramped and in search of better value a bob or two on Mazury (3.10) is recommended.

Despite having only won on the sand at Southwell so far, Mark Johnston's powerhouse of a colt could prove to be different gear to his rivals in the Ron Macdonald Handicap.

Top-of-the-ground specialist I Tina (4.10) gets the nod in the later Black Mill Fillies' Handicap.

The six-year-old mare has done the rounds, so to speak, beginning life at David Elsworth's stables before a spell with Marcus Tregoning prior to her present watering hole at Johnny Portman's yard near Newbury in Berkshire.

Portman has done well with the daughter of Lycius, picking up a decent handicap at Chepstow last autumn. She's had a short break since running on the all-weather after Christmas and the spring sunshine will quite possibly have freshened her up.

Best bet at Fontwell is Dame Fonteyn (2.00), who deserves to get her head in front following a series of consistent efforts on the southern jumps' circuit.

* Hughie Morrison is setting his sights on one of jump racing's big prizes after picking up a nice pot on the Flat at Epsom yesterday.

Salim Toto turned a competitive-looking 14-runner handicap into a procession as she streaked home in the Stanley Racing Great Metropolitan Stakes.

The 6-1 chance was kicked into a clear advantage by Richard Hughes with half a mile to run and won totally unchallenged by eight lengths from 4-1 favourite Dr Cool.

The winner was providing a well-timed boost for Morrison, who saddles star chaser Frenchman's Creek in Saturday's valuable Attheraces Gold Cup at Sandown.

''She can be a bit highly-strung and there was no doubt looking at her form that she settled best when she was out in front," he said.

''All credit to the track, who have produced excellent ground with no jar in very dry conditions. Hopefully it will be the same at Sandown!''

Favourite-backers did better elsewhere on the Epsom card.

Seignosse was all the rage in the ring before taking the five-furlong Stanley Racing Handicap at 11-10.

The son of College Chapel looks a step ahead of the handicapper at the moment and won cosily by a length and a half.