ALAN SWINBANK'S patience in nursing Virgin Soldier back to full fitness stands a good chance of being rewarded at Catterick today.

The eleven-year-old David Abell-owned chestnut won numerous times on the Flat and over hurdles in his heyday, however Virgin Soldier's fragile physique has restricted appearances to just three outings during the past couple of seasons.

But just when it seemed as if his career might be at an end, a policy of tender loving care showed signs of coming to fruition when Virgin Soldier ran well to bag third spot over course and distance last time out.

There's extra encouragement to be gleaned from Swinbank's decision to secure the services of Tony Dobbin, a booking that will ensure he gets assistance from the saddle for the feature event on the card, the £10,000 catterickbridge.co.uk Handicap Chase.

In the following Leeds Handicap Hurdle, Charlie Tango (2.50) must be given the opportunity to redeem his somewhat tarnished reputation, having run a stinker on a visit to Fakenham last month.

Previously the David Thompson-trained gelding had won doing handsprings at Sedgefield, a victory which prompted some rave reviews from his rider that day, Graham Lee.

Lee wasn't on board for the Fakenham fiasco and it will be interesting if he can get a better tune out of Charlie Tango, who clearly possesses the ability to take advantage off a potentially lenient handicap mark.

Lee could also find himself a slot in the winners' enclosure after the earlier Bradford Selling Hurdle, provided Elaala (1.50) reproduces the form she showed when runner-up in a similar event at Ludlow.

The fourth horse home in that contest, Methodical, has since bounded to a clear-cut Taunton triumph, a rock-solid pointer towards the prospects of Elaala in this afternoon's lowly affair.

Charlie Egerton and Tony McCoy, who teamed up to land a 7-1 winning nap for the column via Graphic Approach at Sandown on Saturday, take a trip to Ludlow in the hope of repeating the medicine with The Local (2.30).

Although Egerton's six-year-old put up a bold front-running display when collecting over hurdles at Wincanton, he's now confronted with fences in the Ludlow Club Handicap Chase.

Egerton's not the type to send his horses out to face such a challenge unless they've been intensely schooled, which, combined with McCoy's expertise up top, might be good enough to take first prize in the two-miler.

Malton's Richard Fahey, on the mark with Burley Flame at Lingfield yesterday, despatches the veteran sprinter Sir Sandrovitch (12.40) to Southwell for the opening Apprentice Claiming Stakes.

Fahey keeps the old-timer in training specifically to help up-and-coming young jockeys, a good example of which is Andrew Mullen, who has far more experience than most in the quest to snatch the five-furlong dash.

Mark Johnston's runners on the all-weather circuit have been few and far between so far this winter, nevertheless he's kept the odd one on the move, notably Spitting Image (1.40), expected to complete a hat-trick in the mile-and-three-quarter Play Now Handicap.

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