BACK NINE'S bid for glory in this afternoon's Royal Artillery Gold Cup very much depends on keeping his jumping together.

Sandown's fearsome fences take some getting over and Back Nine (3.10) needs to avoid the sort of calamitous mistake that caused his untimely exit at Lingfield in January.

Robert Alner's raider has since put in a confidence-boosting clear round to fill third spot behind Cheltenham Festival-bound Racing Demon, a most encouraging performance in the context of today's £10,000 three-mile affair.

With the benefit of bottom weight, Aldiruos (3.45) could conceivably hold all the aces when heads turn for home in the Durkan Group Handicap Hurdle.

The stiff uphill climb is not for the faint-hearted, so the fact Aldiruos possessed sufficient resolution to score no less than four times last season must be regarded as a positive omen.

Naturally evidence of recent good form is also necessary, therefore further heart can be taken from the selection's latest foray to Wetherby, where he wasn't disgraced in third place.

The former dual winning Hunter Chaser, Mrs Be, tries her luck under rules by travelling to Warwick to line up for the Stradform Handicap Chase over a distance in excess of three-and-a-half-miles.

Underfoot conditions are already reported to be pretty gruesome at the Midlands venue, and with further rain in the air most of the field will be treading water at the end of such a severe test.

Whether or nor that will apply to Mrs Be (3.55) is in the lap of the gods, but there's every reason to believe the mare is likely to be on the premises where it counts most.

Martin Pipe's stable is finally firing on all cylinders, which spells trouble for Neveesou's rivals in the feature event on the card, the £18,000 John Watson Services Handicap Hurdle.

Neveesou (3.25) seems poised to land a hat-trick, having first prevailed in his native France, after which he absolutely hacked up on an impressive British debut when heavily supported at Folkestone.

Siding with a horse following a long break is always a risk, however Redwood Rocks (5.15) might still be worth chancing in Wolverhampton's littlewoodspoker.com Handicap.

Bryan Smart's gelding has been out of action for 131 days, but he's pretty well treated in terms of the way the contest is framed and in such circumstances his latent class could pull him through.

Rather inclined to get stirred up and boil over in the preliminaries, it's essential to mount a watching brief until Redwood Rocks reaches the stalls in a calm and ordered frame of mind.

Provided he walks into the gates like a lamb, only then should internet punters be pressing the button to strike an each-way bet, knowing Smart's runner hasn't totally blown it before the field even gets underway. * John Quinn hopes Crow Wood's return to the Flat at Lingfield tomorrow will set him up nicely for the Cheltenham Festival.

The versatile seven-year-old will take his chance in the betdirect.co.uk Winter Derby Trial Conditions Stakes before switching back to timber at Prestbury Park next month.

Crow Wood holds an entry in the Anglo Irish Bank Supreme Novices Hurdle and the Vincent O'Brien County Handicap Hurdle at the Festival, but Quinn is expecting a good run at Lingfield before that - despite being drawn widest of all in stall eight.

''He's in good nick and if he was ever going to run before Cheltenham it was always the plan to go on the Flat,'' said Quinn.

Get more racing online at www.racing-north.co.uk.