ALL-WEATHER wizard Karl Burke is back among the winners following a disappointing summer with his horses on turf.

The master of Middleham's famous Spigot Lodge stables has assembled a cracking team to go to war with over the winter months at Lingfield, Southwell and today's venue of Wolverhampton, where Foronlymo and Legal Set both hold terrific chances.

Foronlymo (2.25) is first on stage in the seven-furlong Bet Direct Handicap. He's by no means the fastest thing seen out on four legs, but he has a good record at the track, poaching a good deal of place money this term to add to his six-furlong success at the course in 2001.

Legal Set's (3.00) case in the five- furlong Claiming Stakes is not quite so obvious because he hasn't actually won on the fibre-sand before. However, Legal Set has run some of his best races at Lingfield, proving his ability to handle an artificial surface.

Sylvester Kirk, fresh from a winner via Lord Tim over the sticks at Market Rasen yesterday, now turns his attentions to the Flat with Halland Park Lad (3.35), a leading contender for division one of the mile-and-half Sky Text Handicap.

Halland Park Lad's future seemed assured, having won both on the sand and turf as a two-year-old, but things then went seriously awry.

A despairing Kirk entered his horse in a lowly selling contest at Windsor in October, in which thankfully the selection did make a dramatic return to form.

It was a performance that suggested Halland Park Lad's troubles were over, giving rise to the possibility that he can now follow up.

The star of the show at Ascot is undoubtedly the French raider, Baracouda (2.40), bidding to complete a sensational tenth straight win over hurdles.

Francois Doumen's ace took the scalp of the subsequent Champion Hurdle winner Hors La Loi in the race 12 months ago, before going on to take the Bonusprint Stayers' Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival in March.

Reportedly "ready to do himself justice" by Doumen, Baracouda surely only has to stand up to take the money in the £30,000 Pricewaterhousecoopers Hurdle.

The fortunes of David Gandolfo, once a trainer to be feared wherever he went, seem to have been on the wane over the past couple of years.

For one so shrewd it's bad horses, rather than poor training methods, that are to blame for Gandolfo's recent decline. But he still has the odd decent performer such as Colombian Green (3.45), a likely type for the closing extended two- mile John Doyle Handicap Hurdle.

Colombian Green made a more than encouraging comeback when third over track and trip on November 2, an outing which should have brought the useful eight-year-old to concert pitch as far as fitness is concerned.

The only slight drawback to backing Colombian Green is the absence of Timmy Murphy, who heads for Exeter instead. Should that fixture fall to the planned inspection, he'll no doubt re-route to Ascot, otherwise there can no real complaints for his potential substitute, Stormin' Norman Williamson.

l Yarm-based Richard McGrath stepped at the eleventh-hour to ride his first winner for his former boss Jonjo O'Neill for two years yesterday, writes RAY GILPIN.

He was on hand after David Casey arrived two minutes too late following a nightmare trip from Ireland to partner Ballylusky in the Pertemps Hurdle (Series Qualifier) (Showcase Handicap) at Market Rasen yesterday.

Ballylusky made all the running, and always staying on too strongly up the hill for his rivals he had ten lengths to spare over Exstoto at the line.

McGrath decided to stay in the North when O'Neill moved to Gloucestershire two years ago, and he said: "I have had about eight rides or so since for Jonjo and it is good to ride a winner for him again - but it is a pity for David.

"I moved from Cumbria to Sedgefield and then to Yarm, it is a very convenient spot for riding out for Michael Dods, Chris Grant and Mick Easterby and everything is going well."

Casey watched the race on TV in the weighing room, and explained: "I was held up in traffic because of accidents on the M1 on the way to Dublin airport and I missed my flight to East Midlands.

"I could not get one to Leeds so I had to go to Manchester and get a taxi across to here - I can't bear to tell you how much it cost."

O'Neill, who has his horses in tremendous form, completed a double half an hour later when Druid's Glen, carrying the colours of JP McManus, just got the better of Lord Rapier under a tremendous ride from Tony McCoy.

Jamie Moore must have really thought it was his lucky day as he approached the final flight seven lengths clear on the favourite Valeureux in the marketrasenraces.co.uk Amateur Riders' Novices' Hurdle.

But the James Hetherton trained gelding took off half a stride too soon and took a crashing fall leaving the long time leader, Mick Easterby's The Nomad, to get back in front and stay on to beat Our Armageddon by ten lengths