IF Sedgefield passes a 7.30am inspection this morning, Rock Scene rates a solid bet in the opening Selling Handicap Hurdle.

Although trained at Basford in Staffordshire, Andy Streeter's nine-year-old is no stranger to success in the North-East having won on the Flat over a mile-and-a-quarter at Ripon last July.

Soft ground is the key to Rock Scene's (1.00) chances and there definitely hasn't been any shortage of rain in the area over the past week.

And with underfoot conditions certain to be extremely testing, the gelding should be in his element against a field of ten rivals, none of whom are in particularly good form at present.

The Ramside Catering Handicap Chase re-unites Running Moss (1.30) and the enthusiastic amateur rider Clive Storey, who steered the nine-year-old to a narrow victory at Catterick just before Christmas.

Running Moss acts well on Sedgefield's undulating track, a factor which should stand him in good stead against his two main market rivals, Bold Action and the ex-French chaser, Frileux Royal.

The latter represents Tom George, the Gloucestershire-based handler not averse to launching long-distance raids on the County Durham course.

It is possible to make a case for Frileux Royal upsetting Running Moss, however I believe George's prospects of making the winners' enclosure are even better with Suntas (3.30) in the closing Alphameric Mares Only Novices' Hurdle.

Suntas showed she was approaching concert pitch when chasing hone Turtle Valley at Chepstow eight days ago. That event was far hotter than this afternoon's contest and consequently I expect Suntas to oblige with the minimum of fuss, albeit at cramped odds.

Alan Bailey's normally reliable yard has been ominously quiet of late, a situation poised to change in the first at Southwell via Distinctive Dream (12.50) in Division One of the Red Gauntlet Selling.

Seven furlongs is generally regarded as a specialist distance and it is significant that only two of his eight opponents have previously won over the trip.

Further positive evidence can be gleaned from Distinctive Dream's encouraging performance when a close-up fifth to Puppet Play at Wolverhampton on Boxing Day.

Patrick Haslam's Flambe goes from strength-to-strength, rattling off an impressive quick-fire sand hat-trick in the late autumn, prior to being given a short break.

Unfortunately the Official Handicapper took a dim view of Flambe's most recent win, hitting the three-year-old with a hefty 10lbs rise in the weights.

The hike may well thwart his winning sequence for the time being, letting in the well drawn Amen Corner (2.50).

Mark Johnston's Mount Livermore colt must be forgiven his latest flop at Wolverhampton, where he found the easy five-furlong trip on the short side.

At Taunton, Just Jasmine (2.10) bids to repeat last year's success in the Tote Placepot Chase.

She's a really useful mare on her day, particularly when Roddy Greene is in the saddle. Her eightmonth absence is an obvious drawback, however on the plus side Just Jasmine has proved effective coming off long breaks in the past

In the closing Winning Post Bar Handicap Hurdle, Ela Agapi Mou's (3.40) fall from grace might be at an end.

His long losing trot has resulted in a headlong plunge down the handicap.

In such cases there is normally light at the end of the tunnel and at Towcester last time he finally demonstrated a glimmer of his old self when finishing runner-up to Haste Ye Back.

l Racing is facing up to a fresh threat from the weather with at least three meetings in danger for the remainder of this week.

Sedgefield's meeting today is subject to a precautionary inspection at 7.30am, while officials at Towcester will hold a second inspection at 9am today ahead of tomorrow's scheduled programme.

Officials at Sandown warned yesterday that the course's Saturday card, featuring the Sun 'King Of The Punters' Mildmay Cazalet Memorial Chase, will be in doubt if weather predictions are accurate.

Musselburgh's fixture became the latest casualty of 2001 when yesterday's card was scrapped because of frost.

The New Year's Day meetings at Catterick, Cheltenham, Leicester and Plumpton succumbed to icy conditions, while even Wolverhampton's all-weather surface was deemed unfit on Tuesday.

Sedgefield is threatened by a severe overnight frost as well as rain.

''There is some rain forecast for the early part of the night and an frost early tomorrow so in the light of that we're going to have a precautionary inspection,'' said clerk of the course James Hutchinson yesterday.

''With a bit of rail movement the course is just about raceable at the moment but if the weather forecast is right it could be touch and go.

''It would only take half a dozen millimetres of rain and a couple of degrees of frost and we could be off for waterlogging or frost.''

Towcester's meeting on Friday survived an inspection yesterday but in the light of a poor forecast a further check is necessary.

''The course has dried out but it all depends on what happens tonight,'' said clerk of the course Hugo Bevan. ''It is marginal and I would rate the prospects for racing at no better than 40 per cent.''

Today's other meetings at Taunton and Southwell (transferred from Wolverhampton) are expected to go ahead.

A spokesman for Taunton said: ''No inspection is planned. The ground is heavy (soft in places) but some rain is forecast and the ground may go to heavy.''

Ludlow is confident of staging its fixture tomorrow, while Southwell should also race that day.

''All the frost has cleared and we've been able to give the turf a good roll,'' said Ludlow clerk of the course Bob Davies.

Haydock reports no problems for its televised card on Saturday, but Sandown's clerk of the course Andrew Cooper admitted the forecast for the next few days was ''not very clever''.

''They are saying we could have up to ten millimetres of rain tonight, then more wet weather on Thursday night into Friday morning," he said