/ Editor / 21 February 2007 /

Ebony Light bids to continue trainer Donald McCain junior's purple patch in Haydock's Romania Off Plan Handicap Chase at 15:10.

McCain has proved to be a chip of the old block, since taking over from his father Ginger and in the past fortnight has welcomed back seven winners at a rate of over 30 per cent, including a treble at Carlisle on Monday.

Ebony Light also has an admirable record of finishing in the frame on 35 of his 47 career outings, which includes nine victories. His most recent success came at Wetherby in the middle of January when the 11-year-old out-battled Matmata de Tendron, despite the unwanted attentions of a loose horse which ran across him at the third last.

In-play punters will be watching the gelding in the early stages as occasionally he has hit a flat spot and can then sometimes down tools, as seen at Carlisle in November, where he was eventually pulled up after failing to respond to pressure.

Hoh Viss won three hurdle races including a handicap but has made an erratic transition to the larger obstacles. He won a beginners' event at Fontwell in December which may have recouped the losses of some Betfair punters sustained on his steeplechase debut at Uttoxeter. On that occasion, the seven-year-old made a mistake at the eighth fence and could not recover, eventually trailing in fourth.

The son of Rudimentary's fencing foibles came to the fore again at Wetherby 19 days ago when he capsized three out and in-play action will obviously hone in on how well his fencing holds up in what is his first handicap chase.

Iris Bleu has never quite lived up to his billing. In 2003, he was sent off as one of the market leaders for the Grand National and had his picture splashed all over the front of the Racing Post, only to be pulled up. Since then he has contested many of the top staying events but has only registered a solitary success, albeit in the Listed Badger Ales Chase at Wincanton in November 2005.

Most recently the son of Beyssac pulled up in the Sussex National at Plumpton last month, but as a representative of the David Pipe yard, he cannot be overlooked easily and if there were to be a groundswell of support in the Betfair markets, it should be taken seriously.

My Turn Now on recovery mission

Eight runners have been declared for Huntingdon's Sidney Banks Memorial Novices' Hurdle which is due of at 15:35. Much of the interest will centre on the likely short price favourite My Turn Now.

The gelding became a friend to many Betfair punters during the winter. He ran well in three Irish bumpers, including a win first time out at Clonmel, before transferring to Charlie Mann, who built on that record with a decent second in another National Hunt flat race before sending the five-year-old over hurdles.

The versatile chestnut was backed heavily as he ran up a four timer, sometimes being held up and on other occasions dominating from the front to win by an aggregate 58 lengths.

However, the run of success came to a dramatic end at Sandown 47 days ago when, after being sent of a supported second favourite for the Grade 1 Tolworth Hurdle, he fell heavily at the last flight when in third.

Punters will now have to decide if My Turn Now can resume winning ways in this lesser contest or whether events in Esher will affect his performance adversely.

Pre-race punters will be looking for paddock clues to his general demeanor while, in-play, the way the top weight attacks his obstacles in the early part of the race could be vital.

The in-form Venetia Williams (five winners in the last 14 days at a rate of nearly 18 per cent) runs Lightning Strike, who won the Brown Jack Stakes at Ascot last July. The potentially useful recruit to the jumping game ended his flat campaign last season by finishing 12th in the Cesarewitch, and may have finished closer but for being hampered in the final furlong.

Any market moves could be significant and may reflect how well the son of Danehill Dancer has taken to hurdles in training. In-play punters will be eying the preliminaries closely as Lighting Strike can be very keen, bearing in mind that last August at Salisbury he boiled over badly, eventually unshipping Steve Drowne as the race began.

Shardakhan showed wayward signs when running out at Exeter in December but how much of that was down to the horse or the inexperience of the 7lb claimer in the saddle is open to debate.

What is sure is that under Jamie Moore in two subsequent runs at Folkestone, Sharadakhan he has only been beaten by one horse.

The son of Dr Devious may be open to more improvement and it will be interesting to follow the money in the build up to the race as punters possibly opt to oppose My Turn Now and Lightning Strike.

Namroud bids to build on promising course debut

Southwell's final mile handicap at 16:55 features Richard Fahey's Namroud who proved he acts on the track's unique Fibresand surface when finishing third behind Dichoh nine days ago. That was a promising return to flat racing, after a couple of placed efforts over hurdles. The winner of six races has not previously been campaigned at this time of year and Fahey, who has trained the eight-year-old for all bar three of his 39 racecourse appearances, must feel he can pick up a race or two at this level.

The son of Irish River did win on his seasonal bow in June last year but has needed a run after a break previously, so improvement seems likely and any moves in the Betfair markets should be noted.

Dual Epsom-winner Councellor finished third on his two previous sorties at Southwell being ridden on both occasions by Paul Hanagan, who will be aboard Namroud here.

Councellor, who benefits from being held up, had not been seen since April before he contested a couple of events in January, in which he only managed to beat one horse home. However, two third places this month have been encouraging and the five-year-old has now finished in the frame on 15 of his 27 career runs.

Cathy Gannon gets the leg up on the visored Parkview Love, who has performed with some credit at the track recently. The joint-bottom weight, with Phoenix Factor, was not able to get in a blow against Hamaasy last time but still took third place, four lengths ahead of the rest of the field, having previously only failed by a head to catch Paso Doble at the same venue in January.

Trainer Derek Shaw has had a couple of winners in the last fortnight maintaining a seasonal strike rate of around ten per cent. In-play punters will be looking to see which tactics Gannon utilises, as the six-year-old has been held up recently. However, all the son of Mister Bailey's six victories have come when he has been allowed to bowl along in front.

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