Cool Cowley is suited

The underrated journeyman jump jockey, who has survived a series of career threatening injuries over the past few years, is fully capable of mixing it with McCoy and Co on National Hunts premier stage.

Ungaro isn't suited to being revved up early doors, tactics executed to perfection when Jim sat as quiet as the proverbial church mouse in a similarly competitive event at Sandown in January.

Creeping stealthily forward over the final half-mile, Crowley ensured Ungaro had plenty of petrol left for the home straight, making his rivals look like snails once kicking in the turbo near the finish.

The Cheshire cat like smile of winning trainer, Keith Reveley, said it all at the time but can his stable standard-bearer do it all over again?

"Ungaro's going to need luck in running, he's in very good order and we have to be very hopeful," remarked Keith, who appreciates that with 29 others piling round the course, there's bound to be trouble.

Should Moscow Flyer win a third Queen Mother Champion Chase, heaven help the roof of the main stand, likely to be blown off by the accompanying roar.

Sorry to be a party-pooper, but the old boy seems all washed up nowadays, unlike new kid on the block Kauto Star (3.15), rated by champion-trainer-elect Paul Nicholls as one of his Festival bankers.

"He's been trained all season with this race in mind and I couldn't be happier with him," explained Paul, who together with his number one rider, Ruby Walsh, hit bullseye with Noland in yesterday's opener.

Walsh and Nicholls also team up via Denman (2.00), the hot favourite to win the Royal and SunAlliance Novices Hurdle.

The all-conquering gelding has never been beaten, nor going to taste defeat provided he's in the same sort fettle that carried him to a stunning 21-length track success on New Years Day.

In heavyweight boxing speak Denman's a combination of Ali and Tyson, floating like a butterfly, yet when it comes to ending the fight, you're talking pure big Mike in his prime, one punch and it's game over.

For the sake of the sport it would great to see a nail-biting finale, however I have that one-way traffic feeling.

Denham first, the rest nowhere to be seen.

Now back to some more raiders based in our region, namely Bewleys Berry (2.35), in with an each-way shout for the following extended three mile Novices Chase.

There's a beautiful simplicity about the way Bewley's Berry goes to work. A true free spirit, Howard Johnson's horse sets off in front and says to the opposition, catch me if you can.

Whether he can maintain enough of a gallop is debatable, although his second placing to Exotic Dancer over an inadequate two-miles-and-five-furlongs at the course in December, gives cause for optimism.

The booking of Thomas Greenall, arguably the best amateur in the country, catches the eye on Underwriter (4.40) for the Kim Muir Challenge Cup.

Underwriter, who ran out of his socks to take third spot in Sandowns Agfa Diamond, is only a six-year-old and might just have the legs of his older, and more exposed opponents.

The Weatherby's Champion Bumper brings the curtain down on day two of the meeting, a contest in which Burnt Oak bids to thrust a Middleham minnow, Chris Fairhurst, into the limelight.

With just a handful of horses at his historic Glasgow House yard, it appears as if Fairhurst has his back to the wall against the wall trying to hold the crme-de-la-crme of the Bumper division.

Fortunately fairytales do occasionally come true at the Festival and Burnt Oak, (5.20) already boasting one track victory to his name this year, represents decent value at odds of around 20-1.l Hexham have called a 9.00am inspection this morning for tomorrow's meeting.

The current going at the track is heavy, waterlogged in places and is unraceable.

Sedgefield's meeting was abandoned yesterday after a third inspection at 11am. Acting clerk of the course Charlie Moore said: "It was a very, very difficult decision. The back straight is the cause of the problems as the wind is still very cold down there."