Guest can score again

Guest, off the mark with 14-1 shot Mr Bossman at the weekend, added to that inaugural success with a sparkling Monday afternoon Newcastle double, and Night Fighter looks good to make it number four on the Town Moor.

Night Fighter's fragile front legs have effectively stopped him from being a prolific career winner, but he's still managed to pay his way, scoring in decisive fashion over hurdles at Worcester and Towcester last term.

He's just as good over fences, although it has to be said Guest's raider was bitterly disappointing when backed as if defeat was out of the question at Musselburgh last time out.

At least there was a valid excuse for the setback because after blundering badly at the very first obstacle, Night Fighter was never really moving with any fluency afterwards.

Richard is leaving nothing to chance, taking the ride himself in the famous red and blue colours of his principal owner and landlord, Norman Mason.

The best prize of the day goes to the winner of the £20,000 South Yorkshire Mares Only Handicap.

There are question marks hanging over most of the contestants, including my selection, Lady Laureate (4.10), who was ignominiously pulled up on her latest outing at Fakenham. That race was the neck end of three miles and failure to stay the trip was the most probable reason for her diabolical run.

When campaigned on the Flat, Lady Laureate won no less than three times as a three-year-old, and Fakenham apart she's also shown bags of promise over hurdles. Maybe the drop back to two miles might just be what is required to put a spring back in her step.

Following a heavy fall in which he injured his shoulder, the champion jockey Tony McCoy has taken a few days holiday in Dubai in order to recuperate.

His place at Newbury has been taken by Gerry Supple, riding Visibility (2.10) for Martin Pipe in the opening Berkshire Stand Bookshop Juvenile Novices' Hurdle. McCoy had an armchair ride aboard Visibility when the combination prevailed at Leicester a couple of weeks ago and it should be the same story with Supple doing the steering at the Berkshire track.

In the closing Cyntergy Handicap Hurdle, Sure Future (4.25) appears to be worth an interest, despite taking a considerable hike in the weights.

Even though Robert Stronge's improving gelding has been penalised 7lb for his latest runaway victory at Kempton in December, it might not be sufficient to anchor him the £8,000 two-mile-and-five-furlong event.

Leave division one of the Northern Trust Amateur Riders' Handicap at Wolverhampton to the former track and trip scorer Spanish Star (1.20).

Partnering Spanish Star is arguably one of the top lady jockeys operating within the amateur ranks, Margaret Morris, whose strength in the saddle might make all of the difference should things get tight when the chips are down when the winning post comes into sight.

* Trainer Roger Curtis has been having a quiet time but will head for Cheltenham with a spring in his step after North Point opened his jumping account at the first attempt in pleasing fashion at Ludlow yesterday.

Given a confident ride by Jamie Goldstein in the ludlowracecourse.co.uk Novices' Hurdle, North Point made smooth progress from halfway to take up the running after the second-last flight and stride clear to beat Rescindo by seven lengths.

Curtis sent out a winner on the Flat at Wolverhampton recently but this was his first jumps success for almost a year and he said: ''He was ten days short today so that was a good run.

''He will be better for it and will go to Cheltenham now for the Supreme Novices' Hurdle with, I think, a squeak.

"Jamie said he still had plenty of gears left but he needs good ground."

Mark Bradburne looks set to miss Cheltenham after taking a crashing fall from Clever Thyne in the Tote 'National Hunt' Novices' Handicap Hurdle, ironically won by his 'stablemate' Richard Johnson on Quiet Water.

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