CHAMPIONSHIP material Lord Of Sky (1.25) has the class to complete a well-deserved hat-trick on an all-chase card at Carlisle this afternoon.
Due to waterlogging the hurdle track is shut, but that won't affect Len Lungo's brilliant young chaser, who is turning out to be even better over the bigger obstacles than he was over timber.
In fact Lord Of The Sky was so far clear of his field at Ayr last time that jockey Tony Dobbin was able to ease his mount down to a walk as they crossed the winning line.
All-in-all Lungo had a stunning six winners at the Scottish weekend two-day fixture including Global Search (12.55), fancied to record his fourth win of the season in the opening Rosley Novices' Chase.
There was a ton of money in the betting ring for the strapping son of Green Dancer, who duly obliged, never giving his supporters a moment of concern as he pulled well clear up the home straight.
The £10,000 Ashleybank Investments Chase has the name of Pink Gin (2.25) written all over it.
He won the valuable event 12 months ago and warmed up nicely for another tilt by finishing a more-than-creditable third to Hugo de Grez at the track on his latest start.
Philip Hobbs attempts to give What's Up Boys a confidence booster in the Golden Knob Novices Chase at Taunton having blundered his way round Exeter on his fencing debut at Exeter.
Despite being a top-notch hurdler I'm not sure he's going to adapt to fencing and therefore recommend taking him on with an each-way bet on Baby John (2.05), so impressive when putting some useful rivals to the sword over course and distance a fortnight ago.
It could pay to ignore Sandoran's (3.35) pathetic reappearance effort at Newton Abbot when he was beaten out of sight on what could only be described as bottomless ground.
He turns out again relatively swiftly for the closing Handicap Hurdle under vastly different conditions. The faster surface plus slightly shorter trip will be much more to his liking, paving the way to send his backers home with their pockets bulging.
Joe Crump's bid for a three-timer could come unstuck against a back-to-form Beechfield Flyer (2.45) in the Ischebech Handicap Hurdle at Uttoxeter.
Bill Clay's flashy chestnut has been plagued by injury over the past couple of years, however he seems on the mend judged by his close second to Crisis.
The meeting gets under way with the Strebel Boilers Novices' Hurdle, for which Sue Wilton's mud-loving Wilton (12.45) must be a strong contender.
Sue's stable is now starting to fire on all cylinders and Wilton's ability to act on a testing surface could prove crucial in a what appears to be on paper a very weak race.
l Former jump jockey Allan Dickman ended the wait for his first National Hunt success as a trainer when Vanishing Dancer obliged at Wetherby yesterday.
Dickman picked the right moment as the 16-1 chance was carrying the colours of Mike Smallman, the chairman of the thanx group, who sponsored the race and two others on the card.
Vanishing Dancer showed a splendid attitude on his jumping debut and stretched clear in great style from the final flight in the National Distance Learning College Juvenile Hurdle to defeat Tweed by 12 lengths.
''I could say that as the owner has sponsored this race it was well-planned, but the price of 16-1 tells you that it wasn't,'' said the trainer.
Dickman who handled point-to-pointers after quitting riding, took out a training licence last February.
''I've had one winner on the Flat in Swagger but sadly, he had a heart attack on the gallops,'' he said.
''It was always the plan to go jumping with Vanishing Dancer even though he did run twice on the Flat."
Mary Reveley has struck a rich vein of form and continued the good work with a double courtesy of Random Harvest and Function Dream.
The trainer was called before the stewards to explain the improved form of Random Harvest after his victory in the Nigel Tinkler's Owners Handicap Chase.
The 11-year-old, a winner of the Rowland Meyrick Chase over the course and distance at the end of 1998, had been pulled up in each of his last two outings.
His performance was in marked contrast on this occasion as he showed plenty of spirit to deny Skillwise by one and a half lengths.
''There's not much point the stewards talking to me as I can't give them an explanation,'' said the trainer before she went to be interviewed. ''Things just haven't gone right for him.
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