VICARS DESTINY (1.45) has finally dropped far enough down the ratings to get back on the winning trail in Haydock's feature race, the £12,000 32Redpoker.com Handicap Chase.

Sue Lamyman's representative was unmercifully hammered by the handicapper when blitzed up 13lbs for having the temerity to score by a wide-margin 11 lengths on a successful visit to Market Rasen in May 2004.

No wonder trainers get the hump when their horses suffer such horrific penalties for winning, a rise which effectively prevented Vicars Destiny from going in again over the sticks since that fateful day 18 months ago.

A series of lacklustre results has enabled the eight-year-old mare to race off a more realistic mark for this afternoon's near three-mile test, a distance that normally brings out the best in the daughter of Irish Derby hero, Sir Harry Lewis.

For the following Novices' Handicap Chase fellow mud-lover, Victory Gunner (2.20), looks a solid each-way option. The Colin Roberts-trained raider slugged his way to an emphatic triumph in similarly heavy ground on his latest start, a performance full of determination seeing as conditions were akin to a good old-fashioned glue-pot.

At first glance Victory Gunner appears to have plenty on his plate considering he must shoulder top-weight. However, perusal of his hurdles' form reveals the eight-year-old is perfectly capable of competing effectively at this level, especially with the vastly-underrated Lee Stephens claiming his 5lbs conditional jockeys allowance.

Get more racing online at www.racing-north.co.uk.