AFTER a couple of blank days for jumping fans, milder weather in the Midlands means Warwick's National Hunt card seems likely to go ahead.

The £40,000 Michael Page Finance Chase is by far the most valuable race on the card and with a bit of luck the money will find its way back to Yorkshire courtesy of Tadcaster-trained star, Europa (2.55).

It's a while since the likes of the classy two-miler Ask Tom kept trainer Thomas Tate in the headlines, but Europa has always looked like he could also make up into a genuine Cheltenham Festival contender given the requisite time to mature.

Tate's seven-year-old has all the attributes required to scale the heights, combining sheer strength with superb athleticism. Having won his first two outings this season, Europa let favourite backers down at Doncaster last time out when narrowly beaten into third spot.

Those punters who did their dough would have been downcast, but now is the chance to get the cash back because the distance of two miles that day was all wrong in my book. Europa definitely needs a bit further to show his best.

Sensibly Thomas has stepped him back up an extra four furlongs and, despite facing a very strong field, I'm hoping he'll pass the test with flying colours.

Ferdy Murphy's former Scottish Grand National winner Paris Pike (1.45) is a very interesting runner in the three-mile-and-one-furlong Accountancy Additions Hurdle.

Paris Pike seems to have lost his way since taking the prestigious Ayr showpiece back in April 2001. Possible retirement has even been talked about for the once-useful stayer.

But Murphy isn't quite ready to throw in the towel and has shrewdly opted to switch the eleven-year-old back to the hurdling, an arena in which his handicap is some 20lb lower than over fences. If Paris Pike is to bounce back to form, he had better do it soon as the last chance saloon beckons for the near veteran, who if on top of his game has the power to destroy his rivals.

What the Grade A Kingmaker Novices' Chase lacks in quantity, it more than makes up for in quality with four top-flight two-milers locking horns in a mouth-watering clash worthy of any championship race.

Such small fields often result in tactical cat and mouse affairs, although if the keen-running Hand Inn Hand puts his cards on the table and gives it the gun from flag fall, I anticipate the others will all have a devil of a job to peg him back.

Huntingdon has not escaped the recent cold snap and course officials' rate their prospects at only 50/50 of beating the predicted overnight frost. If the meeting does get the green light, all eyes will be on the unbeaten Double Honour (2.05) in the Stan James Memorial Hurdle.

The Philip Hobbs-trained grey has already been heavily-backed for next month's Cheltenham Festival and he's confidently expected to maintain his 100 per cent record in the 2-mile contest.

* Doncaster yesterday abandoned its meeting due to a frozen track.

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