FOLLOWING a frustrating period of predominantly fast ground Len Lungo has finally decided the time is right to get his horse box out on the road and take a raiding party to one of his favourite hunting grounds, Carlisle.

"As soon the rain comes we are ready to go," reported Lungo late last month and now that his prayers have been answered Rose d'April (1.30) and Direct Access (2.40) are both expected to go well.

Rose d'April, who won at the course first time out over hurdles last season, attempts to repeat the feat, but this time taking on the bigger obstacles in the New Holland Beginners Chase.

At only six the selection might easily have been given at least another year in the handicap hurdling arena, but the fact that Len has opted to go chasing suggests Rose d'April is capable of acquitting himself with honour.

Neither is Lungo mucking around with Direct Access, who dives in at the deep-end on account of having to shoulder top-weight in the feature race on the card, the £12,000 Tote Credit Lucius Chase.

Humping 11-12 up the mountain-like hill from the fourth last fence at the track takes some doing. Luckily we are talking no ordinary horse when referring to Direct Access, a gigantic 17 hands high gelding who regularly towers over his rivals in the pre-parade ring.

Having won doing handsprings on his reappearance at Kelso in 2002, Direct Access was then the subject of a monumental ante-post gamble for Newbury's Hennessy Gold Cup. The money sadly went west along with the remainder of his planned campaign due to an injury Direct Access sustained to a hind leg.

Clean-winded and according to his trainer not hard to get fit, Direct Access goes well when fresh, and since he wastes so little energy in jumping Tony Dobbin might only have to point the selection in the right direction to collect the cash.

Urban Hymn, who jumped liked a bunny rabbit at Sedgefield almost four weeks ago, must be regarded as a leading contender for the Monkcastle Handicap Chase.

The 2-mile trip for Ferdy Murphy's seven-year-old could not be more ideal and with niggling doubts concerning most of the opposition, Urban Hymn should have matters well under control on the final circuit.

Dreadfully small fields at Fontwell make the fixture a complete non-event.

Better to concentrate on Wolverhampton, where Pearson Glen (3.35) catches the eye.

Alan Swinbank's four-year-old has some decent enough turf form to his name and this switch to the all-weather surface looks a typically shrewd tactic.

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