NORTHERN trainers do not fare that well at Newbury but Batswing could begin to rectify the situation in today's £15,000 Tote-sponsored Showcase Handicap Hurdle.

It's a bit of David and Goliath scenario for the small stable of Malton-based Brian Ellison taking on the likes of the mighty Martin Pipe, who runs the top-weight, Carandrew.

But Ellison's Batswing, a former winner of the November Handicap on the level at Doncaster, has taken to hurdling like a duck to water, putting in a particularly sterling effort on his latest outing when third to the Champion Hurdle hopeful, Westender.

Batswing (3.00) has been talked of as a possible live contender for the County Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival, but there should be some nice prizes to be picked up with the smart six-year-old gelding before then.

Also on the card is a cracking Grade 2 Novices' Chase featuring several top-notch performers, including Manx Magic, Father McCarten, and Southern Star (2.30).

The latter is trained by Henrietta Knight, back in the winners' enclosure yet again courtesy of Juralan's victory in a somewhat lower profile event at Taunton yesterday.

Although Southern Star carelessly unshipped Jim Culloty last tine out, he had previously added to his legion of admirers with a scintillating success at Prestbury Park.

With question marks over all six runners in the Morris Nicholson Handicap Chase at Bangor, it might be worth risking the fitness of 622-day absentee Echo's Of Dawn (2.45).

After a blank autumn, John Upson's yard has struck form with a vengeance over the past three weeks. It's true Echo's Of Dawn has missed the best part of two years, but he's still only nine and therefore young enough to make up for lost time.

Mark Johnston has kept a few for the sand and Cheeney Basin (2.05) showed a liking for Southwell when scoring as he liked over track and trip 11 days ago.

The nap selection won despite being drawn out in the cheap seats that day, and with no such disadvantage today emerging from stall No 1, a double beckons for the Middleham raider in the six furlong sprint.

* Adrian Maguire joined an elite band of jockeys to ride 1,000 winners in Britain when Fiori ended a frustrating spell for the popular Irish-born jockey in the Viacom Outdoor Handicap Hurdle at Carlisle yesterday.

Maguire, 30, gave the Pat Haslam-trained gelding a tremendous ride, showing all the enthusiasm and determination he had when gaining his first success in England on his first ride, Omerta, in the Kim Muir Chase at the 1991 Cheltenham Festival.

He was given a great reception by racegoers as he returned to the winners' enclosure, but that appreciation was not quite echoed by the stewards, who suspended him for one day (December 13) for using his whip with excessive frequency.

That follows on a six-day ban he picked up at Wetherby on Wednesday after striking colleague J P McNamara with his whip on pulling up after the John Wade Haulage Ltd Novices' Hurdle. But the incident had not dented his confidence.