HAT-TRICK seeking Harrovian (3.20) heads to Kelso with every chance of maintaining his winning streak in the feature event on the card, the £14,000 Persimmon Homes Handicap Chase.

Pam Robson's Flat-bred eight-year-old has come a long way since reportedly refusing to enter the stalls as a youngster when in the care of the late Alec Stewart at Newmarket a few years ago.

Amazingly for a horse blessed with the pedigree to compete in the Derby, it has been steeplechase fences which have brought out the best in Harrovian, who is currently unbeaten over the bigger obstacles in two starts to date.

Harrovian gave notice that he was a force to be reckoned with when streaking 14 lengths clear of his nearest rival on his chase debut on good ground at Musselburgh in early January.

He then encountered a much more testing surface at today's venue when brushing aside Richard Guest's in-form chaser, Why The Big Paws, with relative ease. In racing, one often has to take an educated guess, and despite being whacked up 23lbs as a result of that brace of victories, I reckon the gelding remains on the upgrade and is well worthy of support.

With two winning naps for the column already in the bag, it would be churlish to desert Diamond Mick (2.50), even though he faces his stiffest task so far in the gg.com Handicap Hurdle.

Regular rider Rose Davison has forged a formidable partnership with Diamond Mick, who bids for his third course victory of the winter. Although the partnership has yet to collect beyond two miles, I believe the selection's style of running suggests this afternoon's extra couple of furlongs will bring about further improvement, rather than hinder his prospects.

Rose, who is unbeatable value for her 7lbs allowance, might also be in the money when she hops aboard Rosalyons (4.20) in the closing three-mile-one-furlong contest.

Rosalyons, twice successful over hurdles this term, is rated 107 in that sphere, whereas he gets into the Members Handicap Chase off a mark of 72. Such a huge difference can only be to the advantage of the gallant grey, a regular visitor to the Borders track, where he's become something of a standing dish with the locals.

Attempting to defy top-weight in the Weatherbys Bank Handicap Chase is going to be anything but a cakewalk for Roberty Bob (2.10) but there's strong evidence to imply he may well be up to the job.

Henry Daly's ultra-consistent representative rarely runs a bad race, has underfoot conditions to suit, plus the services of the top-flight jockey Richard Johnson, to do the pushing and shoving once maximum thrust is required.

Rising star Lee Stephens' presence on Pougatcheva's back, combined with her previous winning course form, should be good enough to stake a claim for the Tatterstalls Mares' Only Novices' Chase.

Pougatcheva (3.40), who failed to justify favouritism at Folkestone last week, seems certain to appreciate the return to this more demanding track, which has sparked the game and genuine mare into life on more than one occasion in the past.

* Apprentice Kristin Stubbs will make history at the Jockey Club today when she becomes the first rider ever to take part in a disciplinary hearing open to the press.

The 24-year-old will appeal against a two-day suspension collected for careless riding aboard Pagan Storm at Wolverhampton on Monday last week.

Her hearing, at Jockey Club headquarters in London, will be the first not held behind closed doors.

''It will be an historic occasion and we are looking forward to staging the inquiry,'' said John Maxse, the Jockey Club's PR director.

''Opening up the hearings to the press increases the transparency of the disciplinary process and we hope it will increase confidence in the fairness of our system.

''We are restricting the open inquiries to those incidents which occurred during the course of racing, with corroborating evidence of the race.