MICHAEL CHAPMAN'S horses have been in good enough form to suggest Dabus (3.20) has a first rate chance in the Novices Handicap Chase at Doncaster.

Although the ten-year-old has yet to win a chase, he's already won three over hurdles this term, proving he knows precisely where to find the winning post. But he is no one-trick pony, because he ran out of his skin to finish a close-up third over fences at Huntingdon last week.

In that particular contest Chapman's gelding was only beaten around one length by Jonjo O'Neill's Specular, which entitles him to serious consideration in the context of this afternoon's extended two-mile encounter.

Reg Hollinshead doesn't have too many jumpers, but the veteran handler has come up with a decent National Hunt type in the guise of Norma Hill (3.55), who heads for the £15,000 South Yorkshire Mares Only Handicap Hurdle.

The daughter of Polar Prince has picked up a couple of races over timber so far this winter, neither did she perform at all badly when second to Cashel Dancer on her handicap debut at Ludlow in February.

Supporters of Idealko (4.25) have needed extremely deep pockets over the past few months as the Ian Williams-trained nine-year-old continues to disappoint his long-suffering fans.

Generally speaking Williams has been aiming his charge at higher standard events than the 0-100 Branton Handicap Chase, so doubtless he's now hoping that dropping Idealko in class will be the catalyst to help him get his head back in front.

Ian's always been the type of guy to put plenty of thought into the placement of his team.

In this instance he's made a logical adjustment of allowing top-weight Idealko to take on theoretically inferior rivals, which should help to boost his flagging confidence.

* Both Newbury and Doncaster are threatened by frost and must pass 7.30 inspections this morning before racing is allowed to proceed.

* Andrew Thornton will ride Kingscliff and not Sir Rembrandt in the totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup, the jockey revealed yesterday.

But he admitted that it had been a decision he did not want to make.

Sedgefield-born Thornton made his choice between the Robert Alner-trained pair after a visit to the Dorset handler's stables, and it means that Mick Fitzgerald will get the leg up on Sir Rembrandt.

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