HEAVY ground is bound to take at its toll at Carlisle but when push comes to shove up the testing home straight Hugo de Grez (2.20) will not flinch in the face of battle.

The six-year-old has already asserted his authority four times at the course in the past and warmed up nicely for this afternoon's £10,000 Ashleybank Investment Chase by running second to The Grey Abbey on his seasonal reappearance at Ayr.

Also in the line up is Henry Daly's Edmond, successful in the Welsh Grand National two years ago.

Edmond couldn't reproduce that level of form last season, although with the benefit of a restful summer at grass he could easily come out all guns blazing.

Leave the first couple of races to Lenny Lungo courtesy of The Bajan Bandit (12.50) and Direct Access (1.20).

The Bajan Bandit has already begun to pay his way in my "Racing North" ten-to-follow list by opening his account over timber in effortless fashion at Ayr.

Direct Access, a positive giant of a thoroughbred standing at well over 17 hands high, pulverised his opponents on his highly-impressive fencing debut over two miles at the track earlier this month.

He promises to even more effective over the extra half-mile in the Viacom Novices' Chase, a contest I expect Direct Access to gather in without so much as breaking sweat.

Patrick Haslam, who normally waits until the New Year before shifting his Middleham stable into top gear, has just for a change tuned his string up a shade earlier than normal.

Uttoxeter-bound Perchancer (12.40) is a classic example.

Instead of waiting for some soft races on the sand in January and February he's been switched to hurdles, a policy which reaped handsome dividends when the gelding won with his head in his chest at Wetherby.

Perchancer's broad white blaze means he's easy to spot in running, but in any event the headstrong gelding pulls so hard don't expect him to see him anywhere else than in amongst the leaders once the tapes go up.

Andy Streeter is always a man to be feared at his local course prompting the prospect of profiting from a small interest in Jona Holley (1.40) for the Peter Douglas Selling Handicap Hurdle.

Jona Holley, successful over track and trip a couple of years ago, takes a big drop in class, having finished well down the field behind Weet And See last time out.

The only other meeting of the day takes place at Taunton, where Barren Lands (3.30) has made a habit of winning since switching from the Flat in 1999.

Consistency hasn't exactly been Barren Lands' strong suit, however there was plenty to like about his most recent run at Leicester, staying on stoutly from the final flight having looked a beaten horse not long after turning for home.