TIM EASTERBY seems to be concentrating mainly on the Flat these days but he's still got a few decent jumpers, including Newcastle-bound Stone Cold (2.45).

Considering Stone Cold is only five, he's taken well to steeplechasing, attacking his fences with the accuracy of a seasoned handicapper when accounting for Nephite at Doncaster.

Easterby has only stepped the gelding marginally up in class for the Cantor Sport Handicap Chase at the Tyneside track, and with only four rivals to see off a double is very much on the cards.

Soft ground and three miles is right up Firetree's street, successful in similar conditions at Huntingdon a fortnight ago.

Tony McCoy only had to shake the reins at Jonjo O'Neill's mud-loving seven-year-old that day to overhaul long-time leader Jim Jam Joey.

McCoy is on duty at Uttoxeter, but backers of Firetree (3.20) should have no qualms about his more-than-able substitute, the excellent 3lbs claimer Ben Hitchcott.

Mick Easterby's The Nomad (5.30) is edging towards a visit to the winners' enclosure judged on his second to shock 50-1 Sedgefield scorer Native Eire.

That particular contest was somewhat devalued by the unscheduled departure of the odds-on favourite Mr Woodentop, who lost his footing when holding a narrow lead at the fourth flight of hurdles.

Nevertheless The Nomad is no mug and has as good a chance as any in the closing Pavilion Bar Novices' Handicap Hurdle.

Paul Webber introduces a useful recruit at Market Rasen, Smyslov (2.40), in the Staydon Furnishings Juvenile Hurdle.

Named after the famous post-war Russian Chess world champion, the ex-John Dunlop Flat performer never reached those dizzy heights when performing on the level.

Smyslov did however show a sufficient amount of ability to promote the theory that he can make a winning debut over timber.

The Duckworth Novices Chase features a couple of closely-matched rivals, Shamawan and Coulthard (3.15).

The latter has never quite reproduced his smart hurdles form over the bigger obstacles, although he did run a cracker when third to Master Tern at Huntingdon.

Waterlogging has washed out the National Hunt action at Lingfield, leaving spectators with a paltry four Flat races to view on the polytrack.

At least one of quartet, the £60,000 Littlewoods Bet Direct Winter Derby, has produced an outstanding field of mile-and-a-quarter horses.

There are four German raiders in the race, plus the favourite for the randombet.com Lincoln Handicap, Jeremy Noseda's Adiemus, last year's Cambridgeshire winner I Cried For You and the only three-year-old in the 14-runner line-up, Laissezaller (3.40).

It's flying in the face of convention supporting three-year-olds against their seniors at this time of year.

But Amanda Perrett's colt showed he was going to be a major player in this heat by separating Adiemus and I Cried For You when the trio clashed in the trial for race in late February.