TACTICALLY speaking, Tony Culhane has few peers on the polytrack, an excellent reason for backing Compton's Eleven in the most valuable event of the day at Lingfield.

The popular northern-based jockey regularly goes down south to partner Mick Channon's inmates, Compton's Eleven (3.50) being a prime example since Culhane has partnered the selection on his two most recent Newmarket outings.

Thus far it has been a bittersweet experience for the pairing, each time filling the runners-up spot at 16 and 20-1 respectively. No one likes to finish second and the only people to have gone away genuinely happy were the each-way thieves who took advantage of those fancy prices.

Newmarket form tends to hold up supremely well and even though Compton's Eleven must shoulder top-weight in the seven-furlong £18,000 betfredcasino.com Handicap, on balance of current evidence he looks up to the task.

It is most unlike the powerful Paul Nicholls' team to press the panic button but the fact that they send Desert Quest (3.10) to Taunton just 48 hours after his embarrassing odds-on Cheltenham failure on Tuesday smacks of desperation.

Despite being rated a lofty 96 on the Flat, Desert Quest might not be totally in love with the game and could be worth swerving in favour of Boberelle (3.10).

Colin Tinkler's grey mare routed a useful field of Ludlow bumper horses on her National Hunt debut last term, before taking third spot in a much more competitive affair at Sandown.

On the sheer strength of the above-mentioned performances, Boberelle was unsurprisingly made favourite on her Hexham hurdling bow. However, she didn't get too far, bungling the second flight and catapulting the hapless Tom Doyle into thin air.

Given the total lack of experience, it's easy to forgive the five-year-old for such an unfortunate mishap and I'm siding with her against Desert Quest, who is going to start at cramped odds when lining up for the Pitminster Novices' Hurdle.

Newly licensed jump-jockey-turned-trainer Rodney Farrant is swimming in shallow waters by sending Urban Dream (2.30) to contest Straford's Burchell Edwards Founders Selling Hurdle.

If the gelding can't make his presence felt in this lowly two-miler the future appears bleak. But before painting too pessimistic a picture, it's worth noting that the son of Foxhound put in an improved effort over course and distance 12 days ago, a third placing which confirmed he at least possesses a modicum of ability.

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