GRAHAM LEE might well be in for a white-knuckle ride aboard hard pulling Lord Transcend (2.10) in Haydock's Grade 2 Peter Marsh Chase.

Howard Johnson's terrier-like grey does not take kindly to hanging around, attacking his obstacles with the sort of zeal reserved only for the bravest of steeplechasers.

Such courage is all well and good, but Lord Transcend went a step too far at Wetherby last time out, not giving the 11th fence the respect it deserved and, as a consequence, hit the deck with a bone-crunching fall.

The time before, in the Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup at Newbury, he was equally keen, although on that occasion managed to put in a clear round to finish a valiant fourth against some far more experienced chasers.

It was easily a career-best effort by Lord Transcend at the Berkshire course, a reproduction of which would probably be sufficient to lift this afternoon's lucrative £75,000 three-mile affair.

In the preceding totesport Hurdle, Inglis Drever (1.40), who races in the same colours as Lord Transcend, is fancied to spark a big-race double for the Johnson team and owners Andrea and Graham Wylie.

Inglis Drever has not only run two solid races in defeat so far this term, he'll also relish the two-and-a-half-mile trip and rain-sodden ground, which at one time threatened to cause the cancellation of the meeting.

Former useful stayer on the level, Morson Boy (2.35), makes plenty of appeal on his handicap debut at Wincanton.

Morson Boy, a multiple winner on the Flat when trained by Mark Johnston, has now switched codes and is in the care of the leading National Hunt trainer, Paul Nicholls.

Nicholls has given the five-year-old three spins in novices' company, most recently at Exeter, where he wasn't disgraced by finishing sixth to Gold Medallist, who has already been installed as one of the favourites for this year's Cheltenham Festival.

Morson Boy faces nothing of Gold Medallist's calibre in the Connaught Handicap Hurdle, a race in which for the first time the gelding steps up to the sort of lung-bursting distance sure to bring his guaranteed stamina into play

Forecast overnight frost is a danger to Uttoxeter, but if the track does pass an 8am inspection, Ashley Brook (1.55) may have well have the available ammo to complete a money-spinning hat-trick in the £35,000 Betfred Novices Chase.

Kevin Bishop's raider was nearly 13 seconds ahead of his nearest rival when forging clear to win in splendid isolation at Newton Abbot in November. The time differential equates to roughly 51 lengths which, as legendary athletics commentator David Coleman would say, was "quite remarkable".

Even though Cold Turkey collected in a very fast time over course and distance at Lingfield last Saturday, there might still be some merit in opposing him with Gig Harbor (2.15) for the feature event on the card, the £20,00 betdirect.co.uk Handicap.

It's all too easy to get carried away with speed figures, especially as the recent bout of strong tail winds have been unduly influencing the times clocked by some winners.

From a purely form perspective, Patrick Chaming's gelding had no such assistance when making the well-backed Eddie Ahern-ridden Hello Its Me pull out all of the stops at Wolverhampton in December.

All things considered that was an excellent effort by Gig Harbour, who should be even happier now that he returns to a venue where he has enjoyed plenty of joy in the past.

Amateur events are generally run at a breakneck pace from pillar-to-post, a scenario which suits the habitual slow-starting Tayif (12.10) to a tee.

The Andrew Reid-trained near-white gelding is bound to give away a couple of lengths exiting the gates, but as sure as the sun rises at dawn, he'll be pouring on the pressure come the closing stages of the opening six-furlong dash.

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