TRAINER Tom George has unearthed an excellent opportunity at Haydock for Royal Beluga (1.35) to make a winning reappearance after a long summer break.

Seizing on the fact that Royal Beluga is favourably handicapped over the smaller obstacles compared with his relatively high chasing mark, George has shrewdly entered Royal Beluga in the betdirect.co.uk Handicap Hurdle.

The strapping six-year-old improved hand-over-fist last winter, rounding off a money-spinning campaign with a lifetime best effort by finishing runner-up at Cheltenham.

Having not been seen out for over six months, Royal Beluga might lack a little bit of edge in the fitness department, however his class should see him through against a less than inspirational set of opponents.

In the opening Racing Welfare Juvenile Novices' Hurdle, Border Tale (1.00) gets the chance to put the record straight after failing to justify favouritism on his hurdles debut at Bangor.

Border Tale ran like a drain on that occasion, but judged by his smart Flat form, it is pretty safe to assume the selection is capable of producing a much bolder show this afternoon.

Towcester's stiff fences have a reputation for taking no prisoners so jumping will be very much the name of the game in the two-mile-six-furlong Ladbrokes Handicap Chase at the Home Counties venue.

Two of the contestants, Deliceo and Dirk Cove (2.45), have both successfully negotiated their way round the track in the past, with preference marginally for the latter after an encouraging run at Plumpton last time out.

There's a big hole in my pocket due to a series of failed investments on Cornelius, who I had down in my notebook as a horse likely to pop up a big price somewhere along the line this season.

As far as I'm concerned Paul Cole's six-year-old gets his final throw of the dice at Nottingham, where, if putting his best foot forward, he's perfectly capable of capturing the feature race on the card, the one-mile Conditions Stakes at 3.25.

On his most recent sortie at Longchamp, Cornelius finished fourth in Listed company over the same trip on identical ground. There's no question that a precise reproduction of that form would be good enough to score today, especially as some of his rivals appear to be ready for a rest.

I was full of confidence that Vermilion Creek (4.00) would land the nap at Wolverhampton on Saturday evening and equally devastated when the filly ran so dismally.

Quite why Reg Hollinhead's raider spat out the dummy remains a mystery, but one thing's for sure, the decision of her trainer to return to the well just five days after that ignominious defeat suggests Vermilion Creek is ready and willing to bounce back into the limelight.

* Kieren Fallon missed his five rides at Musselburgh yesterday due to ill health.

The champion jockey was due to ride Escayola in the day's feature race at the Scottish track, but will now be absent until the weekend.

''He's just not feeling 100 per cent,'' explained Fallon's agent, David Pollington. ''It's nothing serious and he'll be back on Saturday.''

The five-times champion has made 2003 a classic year, with wins in the 1000 Guineas aboard Russian Rhythm and in the Vodafone Derby on Kris Kin.

Fallon has another Flat jockeys' championship in the bag having ridden 208 winners for the season.

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