ROOKIE Middleham handler Andy Crook suffered a temporary setback when one of his stable-stars, Heidi lll, flopped in last month's Great Yorkshire Chase.

But hope always springs eternal in the racing game and Crook reckons things could be different for Heidi lll at Doncaster this afternoon in the day's most valuable race, the £30,000 Grimthorpe Handicap Chase.

"There were valid excuses for Heidi in the Great Yorkshire because he came back from the race dehydrated. I've ridden him out myself for the past two weeks and he's spot-on - I'm expecting a big run," said Crook, who has taken the extra precaution of booking top northern pilot Tony Dobbin to ride Heidi lll, who will have to be back to his best to repel fellow Middleham runner Narrow Water.

Narrow Water, included in this season's Racing North ten-to-follow list, has been a bitter disappointment to date.

However, Ferdy Murphy's representative was still cruising when firing J P McNamara out of the saddle at the 18th fence in Newcastle's Tote Northern National on February 16.

Not for the first time, Sue Bramall sends Potoffairies (4.10) over from Ireland to contest a valuable staying hurdle.

Even though Potoffairies, second at Naas last Saturday, has to put up 4lbs overweight for the £20,000 Tote Scoop6 Handicap Hurdle, he shouldn't be too far away given the overall level of his form in both the UK and Ireland.

Ante-post Aintree Grand National favourite Moor Lane (2.45) takes another positive step towards Liverpool glory by contesting the £15,000 Sodexho Prestige Handicap Chase at Newbury.

Ian Balding's rejuvenated chaser has shot up 19lbs since scoring over track and trip in January, but he remains the class act in the race and by all accounts has got what it takes to shoulder his crushing weight to victory.

After two outings over 21 furlongs, Jim Jam Joey (4.00) returns to a far more suitable distance in excess of three miles for the Huntingdon Hopefuls Handicap Hurdle. Gardie Grissell's dour stayer only has two gears - stop and flat out. Unfortunately flat out, as far Jim Jam Joey, is concerned is pretty slow.

In mitigation, though, he can gallop for England and is likely to be plodding on when many of his opponents have waved the white flag.

Octane (3.45) sets the standard in the £20,000 feature event at Lingfield, the Call Direct Bet Handicap.

Mark Brisbourne's back-to-form six-year-old landed a massive mid-week gamble at the track. On offer at 25-1 in places on Wednesday morning, Octane was backed down at all rates and eventually went off at 9-2.

It was certainly money well spent because Octane won with his head in his chest. The only slight blip on the horizon is today's step back in trip to a mile-and-a-quarter, although considering the ease with which he collected three days ago it need not be a major problem.

Behind Octane in fifth spot was Lost Spirit (4.20), who takes a huge drop in grade for the following mile-and-five-furlong Handicap.

Joanna Badger's mount only has one way of running - from the front - and I expect the partnership to record a pillar-to-post success at the Surrey course. Despite being drawn in the so-called coffin box, Golden Locket (7.00) is still the tip in the opener at Wolverhampton.

For the uninitiated, the coffin box is the outside stall, technically a disadvantage as the horse has the furthest to travel when going around the bend.

While Alan Jarvis's four-year-old admittedly has a poor draw to overcome, the Official Handicapper wouldn't have given the filly top-weight unless he thought she was superior to her rivals.

* JANUS (Colin Woods) tipped the last four winners at Doncaster yesterday, including nap selection Nosam (11-8), next best, Belisario (11-8), Through The Rye (7-4), and Supreme Lass (7-1).

* Martin Pipe reached 200 winners for an amazing eighth time when Nouveau Cheval took the Sprotborough Claiming Hurdle at Doncaster yesterday.

The champion trainer, the only jumps handler to make a double century, had been stuck on 199 for eight days but this landmark victory could be called a long way out.

The seven-year-old mare was always going well under a confident ride from the stable's conditional Tom Scudamore.

Young Scudamore, son of Pipe's former stable jockey Peter, looked a chip off the old block as he guided the well-backed 5-4 favourite to a smooth three-and-a-half-length success over Prelude To Fame to complete a hat-trick.

And there was no hiding his delight as Scudamore, who had taken the Nicholashayne handler to 199 by scoring on Jaybejay at Wincanton last Thursday, took his own tally for the season to 25.

''It's fantastic to be part of the team and to be associated with history,'' said Scudamore junior.