BARTON'S education in the art of handling fences continues at Newcastle where victory in the Stanley Racing Novices' Chase appears to be a mere formality.

Owned by racecourse chairman, Sir Stanley Clarke, former Cheltenham Festival hurdles winner, Barton, made mincemeat of the opposition on his latest visit to the Tyneside track, coming home without another rival in sight.

"He's crying out for three miles and like all good horses he's learning fast," said regular jockey Tony Dobbin, who will be hoping Barton maintains his impressive progress over the bigger obstacles.

Trainer Tim Easterby is sensibly in no hurry to step Barton (2.15) up in grade, giving his stable-star plenty of time to acclimatise to jumping fences, with the ultimate aim of having a crack in the championship races at either Cheltenham or Aintree next spring.

In the Pertemps Fighting Fifth Hurdle, another of my "Racing North" ten-to-follow horses, Dibea Times, makes his seasonal reappearance. Malcolm Jefferson has been waiting for soft ground before unleashing the talented four-year-old, who will have his work cut out to beat the likely favourite, Landing Light.

Landing Light travels up from Nicky Henderson's powerful Lambourn yard with excellent credentials, including a memorable success in Newbury's Tote Gold Trophy last term. The top trainer by a country mile at Newcastle is Mary Reveley and her all-conquering stable look like they will be in business once again with Old Red (1.40) and Major Times (1.40).

The former, a one-time winner of the Cesarewitch, belatedly opened his account over jumps at the grand old age of ten when obliging at Kelso in October.

The Major (3.25) is a typical Reveley "improver" having collected his last three races at Uttoxeter, Bangor, and Ayr. Not only does The Major jump superbly, he also responds gamely to pressure when the chips are down in the closing stages.

Ferdy Murphy's promise to find a race of better quality for Man On The Hill (2.05) have materialised at Haydock in the £18,000 One Man Novices' Chase.

The awesome near-black gelding has jumped like a stag on all three of his latest three outings at Sedgefield where each time he has won in a common canter.

There's also in excess of £12,000 up for grabs in the Gordon Plant Memorial Handicap Hurdle bound in all probability for Deep Water (2.35).

Len Lungo has found an ideal opportunity for the ex-Micky Hammond horse, once thought to be champion' hurdle standard. This 0-140 contest is a couple of divisions down from that sort of league, a factor well worth taking into account especially on Deep Water's favoured soft ground.

My best news at Warwick concerns Michael Finnegan (12.30) in the opening Hampton Street Conditional Jockeys' Hurdle.

Tadcaster-based handler Lynn Siddall has always held a high opinion of Michael Finnigan, coming nicely to the boil judged on his recent fifth placing at Uttoxeter.

Finally to the sand at Wolverhampton and the tough-as-teak juvenile J M W Turner (4.00), who is strongly fancied to claim the opener following up his cosy success at Lingfield on Wednesday.