DIAMOND MICK (4.20) is well worth backing at his beloved Kelso this afternoon.

Both of Diamond Mick's victories have come at the Borders venue, so using the tried and tested "horses for courses" formula, a third success would be no surprise.

The six-year-old goes best for Rose Davidson and it's gratifying to see her services have again been secured, especially as she's able to lighten the selection's load by a valuable 7lb.

The target for the combination is the betfair.com handicap Hurdle, a race well within their compass as Diamond Mick ran a cracker at Sandown last time out when second to the in-form Danse Macabre.

Silver Sedge (3.20) has the speed to capture the Scotts Briggs Challenge Trophy, but his suspect jumping means stakes should be kept to a minimum.

The Newcastle-based grey won doing handsprings in March, but that was over hurdles, a much different proposition from tackling fences at Wetherby, where he came to grief the time before.

The unfortunate Wetherby exit must have hurt as Silver Sedge appeared on the verge of mounting a winning challenge, a victory which would have supplemented an earlier chase triumph at Sedgefield.

Owner Ian Hamilton, husband of trainer Ann, is at slight odds with jockey Peter Buchanan concerning Silver Sedge's best trip, which has yet to be conclusively proven.

"Peter reckons he ideally wants two-and-a-half miles, but his full-brother won ten times over two miles and I think that's his top trip," reported Ian.

Despite finishing out with the washing at Carlisle on his only start to date this season, Fastaffaran (2.50) warrants a small each-way wager in the Members National Hunt Hurdle.

Ian McMath's gelding travelled like a Rolls Royce in the Cumbrian contest, falling behind only when running out of gas in the final four furlongs of the three-mile affair.

McMath clearly feels his son of leading jump sire, Zaffaran, will benefit from today's far shorter trip, which will put less emphasis on stamina, even though conditions are set to be very testing.

The more rain the merrier for Aberdare (4.50), a mare with a penchant for heavy ground and marathon distances.

Ideally Aberdare could do with a really fast pace from the moment the tapes go up for the Oregon Handicap Hurdle, a race in which only the strong will survive.

Aberdare definitely fulfils the latter category, even though her season looked like it was heading for oblivion until an encouraging third placing at Newcastle a fortnight ago.

The fact that she finished full of running at the Tyneside track suggests the seven-year-old is on the road to recovery, unlike many of her rivals, who are likely to be feeling the effects of a hard campaign.

* Ted Walsh believes it will take something special for his Grand National duo to lower the colours of last year's winner Hedgehunter, the mount of his son Ruby.

Walsh senior, who sent out the heavily-backed Papillon to win the great race six years ago, saddles Rince Ri and Irish National runner-up Jack High.

He has Andrew McNamara and David Casey pencilled in respectively for Saturday's spectacular.

While Jack High was last seen defeating Nil Desperandum by two and a half lengths at Down Royal in March, 13-year-old Rince Ri boasts a proud record of 12 victories over obstacles.

Both are reported in grand order, with Walsh tentatively nominating Rince Ri as being his best chance of Aintree glory.

But even though Hedgehunter must carry a welter burden on the back of his admirable second place behind War Of Attrition in the Cheltenham Gold Cup, the County Kildare handler acknowledged that Willie Mullins' charge will take some pegging back.

''I don't think my two can beat Hedgehunter but it's not like the Gold Cup because it's a wide-open race," said Walsh.

Hedgehunter is as low as 4-1 with Coral.

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