TIM EASTERBY'S Turgeonev (2.00) will take some beating in this afternoon's Showcase Handicap at Wetherby.

Easterby has been looking after Turgeonev for about six months following the retirement of his former trainer, Micky Hammond.

During that period the gelding has run only twice, holding on in courageous fashion from the determined Time Of Flight to win at Newcastle 12 days ago.

The selection re-opposes Time Of Flight on 2lb worse terms today, but I fully expect the improving Turgeonev to again have the measure of Mary Reveley's challenger.

In the following John Wade Haulage Novices' Hurdle, Newmarket raider Royal Minstrel (2.30) takes the eye.

He paid his way nicely on the flat by picking up a couple of middle-distance handicaps over the summer. But the sturdy chestnut always looked as though he would have a bright future over jumps and he's reportedly schooled encouragingly for a much-awaited debut over the sticks.

I'm very sweet on the chances of Chicago City (3.00), making his way all the way up from Findon in west Sussex to contest the extended three-mile-one-furlong Sponsorship Club Handicap Chase.

Josh Gifford's spring-heeled gelding found sufficient reserves of stamina when asked the question against King Of Sparta at Newbury recently, a gritty performance which suggested he was still very much on the upgrade.

Old Rouvel, Julie's Leader, and Kittenkat (2.20) finished in that order when they clashed at Chepstow over track and trip 18 days ago.

Of the trio Kittenkat was almost certainly the least fit, and Sophie Mitchell's mount is also now considerably better in at the weights with the other two.

Add that crucial pair of factors together and I believe Kittenkat can turn a 13-length deficit around, especially as he has his favoured soft ground to race on.

Martin Pipe rarely leaves the south Wales course without a visit to the winners' enclosure and on this occasion it seems as if Guns'n Roses 11 (3.20) will be the one to make sure he doesn't go away empty-handed.

Guns'n Roses 11, who made a pleasing seasonal reappearance at Cheltenham, has been found a relatively simple task against just three modest rivals in the Beaufort Business Park Handicap Chase.

Finally to Lingfield where Keltech Gold (12.10) tries his luck both on the polytrack and over ten furlongs for the first time.

Bryn Palling's representative has tumbled down the weights after a string of frankly dismal efforts. But there were signs of a revival at Nottingham at the beginning of this month when showing a modicum of his old sparkle to finish third behind Super Dominion.

Fergus Sweeney, a vastly-underrated all-weather jockey, takes the ride, and provided the combination can burst out of the eight stall and take a good position among the front-runners, then all should be set fair for a big run at anticipated odds of 8-1 or better.

Karl Burke's stable is enjoying a purple patch at present, Xaloc Bay doing the business for the yard at Wolverhampton yesterday.

Virtually all his runners are going well and the trail-blazing Hibernate (1.40) looks another "good thing" for the Spigot Lodge handler at the Surrey venue.

l Entries for the Tripleprint Gold Cup, whose prize money has been boosted by 25 per cent to £100,000 this year, close today.

The two-mile, five-furlong chase, the most valuable handicap of the season at the distance, is the highlight of the Cheltenham meeting on December 15.

The race was won last year by an Irish raider, the Edward O'Grady-trained Go Roger Go, who beat Robbo in a thrilling finish.