BACKING top-weights in nursery handicaps is a policy adopted by many professional punters pointing directly to the chances of Pachara (3.15) in the Steve Nesbitt Challenge Trophy at Ripon today.

Michael Bell's youngster returned from a three-month break at York last week and didn't disappoint his supporters by finishing a close third to Prism and Falcon Hill.

It appeared to be a really hot contest at the time and if any further proof were needed Falcon Hill's victory in a valuable race at Newmarket's weekend meeting confirmed the value of the form.

In the preceding Deverell Claiming Stakes, Kayo's class should enable Mark Johnston's local raider to deliver a knockout blow.

If the contest were a handicap, Kayo (2.45) would be conceding lumps of weights to the opposition, which on paper at least suggests the six-year-old gelding has a relatively simple task.

One-time dodge-pot, Royal Minstrel (3.45), has been called some extremely unkind names, although I still reckon he's the one to be on in the £10,000 Showcase Handicap.

The Mark Tompkins trained chestnut has gained a bit of a reputation for being a thief principally because of his unenviable habit of putting his head in the air and not trying when the coal is being shovelled on in a tight finish.

Personally I've seen no evidence of that sort of ungenuine behaviour during Royal Mintrel's last couple of starts and for my money he's something of a reformed character.

In the closing Weatherbys Bank Handicap Chris Wall's Blue Away (4.45) will be a popular choice to complete a well-deserved hat-trick.

The fast-improving stayer may have only won by three-quarters-of-a-length at Yarmouth in July, however he met trouble in running and as a consequence had to make up far more ground than was ideal inside the final furlong.

The extended three mile trip for the Crowe Insurance Handicap Hurdle at Uttoxeter should be in Mucky Jim's (3.30) favour.

Last time out the Nigel Twiston-Davies-trained gelding required every inch of the two-and-a-half-miles in order to achieve supremacy at Worcester.

Using that gritty performance as an indicator, Mucky Jim's strong suit is without doubt stamina, so in the circumstances it would come as no surprise if he gallops his rivals senseless in the marathon test.

Excuse the pun but Runner Bean (4.30) might easily have the field well strung out in the later Poppleton & Appleton Novices' Handicap Hurdle.

He finished third at Bangor recently despite jumping sloppily at many of his obstacles.

Almost certainly given a schooling session or two by handler Brian Eckley since then, Runner Bean could oblige at decent odds provided his hurdling is more fluent.