MARY REVELEY'S record with her southern raiders hasn't always come up to scratch over recent years, but there was nothing wrong with Il Cavaliere's successful sortie to Kempton in January.

They say lightning never strikes in the same place twice, however there is always the odd exception to the rule and today the eight-year-old hurdler is fancied to notch his second successive course and distance victory in the £20,000 Coral Handicap Hurdle.

Il Cavaliere (3.35) showed courage way beyond the call of duty last month when he repelled the persistent late challenge of the James Fanshawe-trained Persian Waters in a battle royal from the last flight to the winning line.

It was an exhausting affair just watching the race from the warmth of the fireside, let alone actually being involved in the flesh and Mary, who always puts the welfare of her horses well to the fore, has sensibly given the selection plenty of time to recover from his exertions.

Hopefully though, having been rested for just over four weeks, Il Cavaliere will return as fresh as paint for the two-mile-and-five-furlong contest in which the brilliant Ruby Walsh has once again been booked to partner the north-eastern raider.

In the later Portlane Handicap Chase, get ready for some fireworks as soon as the starter raises the tape because Peccadillo (4.10) will not be hanging around for a cosy chat with the other contestants.

Robert Alner's spine-tingling chaser only has two speeds, stop and flat out. The man in charge of the steering, our very own Sedgefield born Andrew Thornton, knows it is useless trying to ride Peccadillo any other way, even so it must take guts to take the reins on such a headstrong character.

With both Musselburgh and Huntingdon needing to pass early morning inspections Lingfield is the only other meeting certain to proceed, unfortunately the Polytrack has proved something of a graveyard for punters lately.

Blaming jockeys for injudicious rides has never been a preoccupation of this particular column, nonetheless we were undeniably robbed last Saturday when the nap, Gig Harbor (3.20), did not get the best assistance from Chris Catlin in the saddle.

Despite knowing Gig Harbor had to be ridden near to the pace, Catlin let the all-the-way winner Movie King have far too much rope up front, and despite cutting him down with every stride inside the final furlong was unable to overhaul the long time leader.

Steve Drowne now takes over in the betdirect.co.uk Handicap, sadly the world and his mother will be "on" Emma Lavelle's four-year-old and there won't be the 6-1 available seven days ago.

Hardly any three-year-old sprinters beat their elders at this early time of the year making Dusty Dazzler's blistering success over track and trip 14 days previous even more meritorious.

Bill Turner's flying filly not only blitzed some much older and more experienced opponents on that occasion, she also cracked the course record just for good measure. With such speed in abundance, a follow-up win appears to be the most likely outcome in the £15,000 dash-for-the-cash at 1.40.

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