GETTING past the confirmed front-runner Gower-Slave (3.00) could prove an impossible task in the day's most valuable contest, the £12,000 Showcase Handicap at Newbury.

Not only does Gower-Slave tend to set a furious pace he also jumps like a stag, often picking up a couple of lengths on his rivals at each fence.

Add to the equation a definite affinity for the venue since the gallant ten-year-old won at the course last season, and it is not hard to envisage the Philip Hobbs-trained nine-year-old scooping the pot.

Another of the Hobbs' camp big guns, Bow Strada (2.30), turns out in the preceding Berkshire Stand Novices' Hurdles.

He's a beautifully-bred son of Rainbow Quest, who was patently unsuited by Taunton's tight track when narrowly scraping home by a neck against Jabourne.

The wide-open galloping nature of Newbury's course means the long-striding Bow Strada will be much more at ease this afternoon and he's fancied to complete a three-timer at the main expense of Champagne Lil.

Anyone detecting the whiff of burnt fingers at Ascot on December 21st was probably in the general vicinity of those punters who backed Vrin (4.00).

A substantial gamble on Vrin was beginning to seem like money well spent until Norman Williamson's partner made a monumental blunder at the third last.

Now tried over an extra half-mile and no doubt the subject of some intensive home schooling, the Venetia Williams-trained raider could well make amends in the three mile Armour Handicap Hurdle.

With Catterick sadly falling foul of the permafrost, Lingfield's all-weather flat meeting is the only other surviving meeting.

Willie Muir has his fair of success on the sand - a trend all set to continue via Lycheel (1.15).

Lycheel should theoretically improve fitness-wise for his outing a week ago when third to Stromsholm, especially as the four-year-old gelding lost vital ground when caught napping as the gates opened.

A low draw remains a major advantage and Joint Instruction (2.15) is potentially perfectly poised from stall number 1 in the six furlong Classified Claiming Stakes.

All of Joint Instruction's top form is over sprint trips and he should be suited by the drop back in distance having run out of gas over seven furlongs at Southwell last week.

Nineacres also ran at Southwell last week finishing third to Prime Recreation in a warm 0-100 dash.

Milton Bradley's veteran eleven-year-old now drops significantly in class to contest the 0-75 Call Bet Direct Handicap, an event he threatens to capture despite his advancing years.

David Arbuthnot's mare Sure Quest (3.45) is a regular winter participant on the all-weather circuit and she's worth a small each-way wager in the closing mile-and-a-half Littlewoods Handicap.