ON a day when winners look hard to find, it could be worth keeping Kitski (3.25) in mind for Towcester's two-and-three-quarter-mile Beginners' Chase.

Ferdy Murphy's representative pulled up on a miserable trip to Hereford a couple of weeks ago, but that run is best confined to the rubbish bin because his jumping fell to pieces after a series of early blunders.

Previously Kitski had shown plenty of promise, including at Market Rasen where he seemed certain to collect until jettisoning Keith Mercer from the saddle with only two obstacles left to negotiate.

For sure it's even more a game of chance than usual when backing the less than foot perfect gelding, nonetheless Mercer has always believed his mount to have a serious future over fences.

Midnight Gunner, the tip for the opening Xpress Relocation Handicap Chase, is a much more safe conveyance as far as getting round in one piece is concerned.

Despite being heavily eased near the finish, the selection still managed to trounce his nearest rival by 14 lengths in a similar event at Warwick in November.

Although not in quite the same sort of fettle since, Midnight Gunner was far from disgraced when occupying seventh spot in Catterick's competitive North Yorkshire National.

Vicars Destiny (4.00) could do with a change of luck following a series of frustrating placed efforts over the past few months.

Sue Lamyman's eight-year-old lacks a change of gear, which generally means she gets outpaced at the business end of affairs, nevertheless at least today's testing course will play to her strengths.

Parkinson (3.15) has proved anything but all talk and no show by winning his most recent two races, both at Leicester.

Jonjo O'Neill's progressive youngster now heads to Chepstow with every prospect of completing his hat-trick by winning The Sportsman Out Today Handicap Chase.

Apprentice jockey Donna Caldwell has improved hand-over-fist during the past 12 months, a point borne out by her skilful ride aboard Sonntag Blue (2.00) on a profitable visit to Lingfield in December.

Donna and partner return to the scene of that hard-fought victory seeking a repeat success in the DHL Challenge Handicap, a race in which they may have most to fear from Grezie.

Rod Millman often cranks his string up in preparation for a fast start to the forthcoming turf campaign, a trend which Nina Fontenail (4.15) is hopefully all set to uphold.

Twice a winner on grass last season, the filly is an equally effective all-weather performer and therefore holds soild claims in the mile-and-a-quarter Churchill Insurance Handicap.

Leaving the best till last, arguably the most talented individual on view is Holbeck Ghyll (5.20), who turns out for the closing five furlong dash.

Andrew Balding's sprinter rounded off his 2005 season on a massive high with successive wins at Salisbury, Bath, and Sandown.

The son of Titus Livius only went up a total of 11lbs for that sparkling three-timer, a stunning result for connections doubtless keen to capitalise on what appears a lenient mark by nabbing the nightcap.

l The transferred renewal of the William Hill Lincoln Handicap on Saturday kicks off a record-breaking year at Redcar, with over £1.25m in prize money on offer during 2006.

The traditional curtain-raiser to the Flat season is worth £100,000, after being rerouted from Doncaster.

''It's exciting to start the season with the Lincoln and we intend to introduce another major race during the summer,'' said Redcar chief executive Neil Etherington