GRAHAM LEE has emerged as an unlikely shaker and mover in Paul Nicholls' quest to land a first ever National Hunt trainers' championship.

The Ingleby Barwick-based Grand National-winning jockey temporarily joins team Nicholls for the big-race at Haydock by getting the leg up on L'Aventure (1.40) in the Red Square Vodka Gold Cup.

"Leighton Aspell has to go elsewhere so I snapped up Graham to ride L'Aventure," said Nicholls, who is also represented in the three-and-a-half-mile leg-buckler by the Christian Williams-partnered Eurotrek.

Aspell might well have cause to regret declining the gilt-edged opportunity to reunite with L'Aventure after steering the mare to a famous victory in the Welsh Grand National.

The key to the stamina-sapping contest is undoubtedly the state of the ground, which is described as "heavy" following an extremely wet week in the area adjacent to Manchester and Liverpool.

Not many horses act in such grotesque conditions, however when the going gets tough, the tough get going, and with Lee's renowned expertise of long-distance pace judgement, L'Aventure is in ultra-safe hands.

"I'm really looking forward to the ride and must thank the boss (Howard Johnson) for letting me off Tyneandthyneagain, who runs in the same race," explained Graham.

Ascot's closure has meant the re-routing of several valuable prizes to Lingfield, including the Reynoldstown Novices' Chase.

Admittedly it's an unoriginal selection, however the smart money must be on The Listener (12.55), limbering up for a tilt at next month's Cheltenham Festival in the £35,000 three-miler.

Sedgefield's Andy Thornton has been instrumental in helping to maintain The Listener's unbeaten record this term, particularly at Prestbury Park, when he had to be at his strongest aboard Robert Alner's gelding.

The quirky 12-year-old, It Takes Time (1.25), bids to repeat his 14-1 shock success of 12 months ago in the £100,000 Ascot totesport Chase.

Although It Takes Time must beat his classy yet unpredictable stable-mate, Our Vic, plus the combined might of Messrs Henderson, Nicholls, and Hobbs, backing Martin Pipe's veteran still isn't a bad idea.

Having chiselled out such a cast-iron case for Briareus (3.20) at last Saturday's ill-fated Newbury fixture, it would be churlish to change my mind for Wincanton's Kingwell Hurdle

Andrew Balding's six-year-old hasn't got many miles on the clock, so as long as the rain stays away from the west country venue, he can make it three from five on what is proving to be a lucrative switch to the jumps arena.

Since getting Welcome To Unos (2.45) back from Martin Pipe, Keith Reveley has done fantastically well to rejuvenate the once-stale nine-year-old, cleverly switching his charge from fences to hurdles, a ploy that has kept the enigmatic gelding as sweet as a nut, rather than lapsing into his previous sulky humour.

Having scored over the bigger obstacles at Catterick last time out the self-same change of obstacle tactics are repeated, therefore expect a massive run from Welcome To Unos in the Blue Square Handicap Hurdle.

For the third of Channel 4's televised races, there's yet another tasty treat in store via the £50,000 Country Gentlemen's Handicap Chase.

Despite bottom-weight Black de Bessy entering calculations simply on the basis of consistency, he has been dogged by seconditis and is summarily given the elbow in favour of See You Sometime.

The Seamus Mullins-trained representative saw off a quality field in ruthless style over track and trip at the beginning of the month, a career-topping performance that impressed.

Finally to Wolverhampton where the floodlights will be on by the time Dower House (5.45) lines up in the closing mile-and-a-half event.

Forget Dower House's most recent run when the funereal early pace didn't suit one jot. Andy Turnell's nine-year-old needs an end-to-end gallop, and if they do go like stink from the stalls he'll be the one flying at the death.

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