EVERY season Sue Smith seems to come up with a new star and she's cracked it again with Kempton-bound Patriarch Express (2.20).

The Bingley-based handler and her former showjumping husband, Harvey, are impossible to keep out of the limelight for long. So although one or two of their inmates have disappointed of late, Patriarch Express looks bound to help them take centre-stage at the south London venue.

The contest in question is the valuable £40,000 Rendelsham Hurdle, in which Sue's rapidly-improving eight-year-old already has the measure of all his four rivals in view of the fact he whipped the whole lot rotten at Cheltenham last time out.

There appears to be no earthly reason why the gelding won't be in the same sort of rude health, in which case rider Dominic Elsworth might need a pair of binoculars to spot the opposition when shifting into overdrive near the finish.

Only Merchants Friend knows whether he's going to be in the mood for the job at Warwick, but if he does fancy knuckling down to business then I reckon he'll be the one to back in the Blue Square Handicap Chase.

Merchants Friend (2.35) really is a moody old so-and-so, however on a heavy going day Charlie Mann's thorough stayer has the ability to keep plodding on when others are drained of every ounce of energy.

The leg-buckling three-miles-and-five-furlongs in predicted heavy ground therefore presents the perfect platform for Merchants Friend to strut his stuff, provided he's in a suitable frame of mind to resist the temptation of throwing in the towel.

Backers of Go Garuda (2.45) at Wolverhampton have every right to feel confident of success following trainer David Arbuthnot's decision to up his horse in distance for the 9-furlong Littlewoods Handicap.

Go Garuda was making ground hand-over-fist in the latter stages of a similar standard event at Lingfield this month, shaping as if a more demanding test of stamina was required.

Arbuthnot has not been slow to take the hint, nor will Go Garuda want for anything from the saddle with the supremely skilful Fergus Sweeney again booked to do the steering aboard the selection.

The extended one-mile Be Lucky Claiming race is an intriguing affair. In my book Up Tempo (1.35) would be a certainty if we knew he could hang on over the distance.

It seems all Up Tempo's best efforts have come at six and seven furlongs, but having proved himself in far hotter company on turf and fibre-sand, his sheer class could still be enough to get him home.

* Graham Wylie is hoping Royal Rosa can book his ticket for the Cheltenham Festival with an impressive display in the betfair.com Rendlesham Hurdle at Kempton Park today.

The northern raider faces four rivals in the Grade Two contest, having met the same opponents when disappointing on his seasonal debut in the Cleeve Hurdle at Prestbury Park last month.

The Howard Johnson-trained six-year-old finished seventh on that occasion, having almost fallen at the first flight, after suffering a delayed start to the season due to several setbacks, including a leg injury.

''I am hoping Royal Rosa will run a lot better but Howard said he falls asleep during his races, which might be why he clattered the first hurdle last time, and that left us concerned about his leg,'' said Wylie.

''But he has been much more alert and awake since that run and has been pleasing us on the gallops. We wouldn't take him all the way to Kempton if he didn't have a chance."

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