FORMER near top-class Flat performer Dramatic Quest has taken to hurdles like a duck to water.

Ian Williams snapped up the son of Zafonic for 16,000 guineas at the autumn sale at Newmarket and it's beginning to look like money well spent after the five-year-old won with his head in his chest at Doncaster in January.

Dramatic Quest is a big bulldozer of a gelding, plenty robust enough for the rigours of National Hunt racing.

Not surprisingly therefore, Williams has not messed around and instead he has pitched his budding stable star in against some really useful sorts for the £15,000 Sidney Banks Memorial Novices' Hurdle at Huntingdon.

Nicky Henderson's First Love is the obvious danger to Dramatic Quest (3.10), however, the former does appear to be fully exposed whereas I believe Dramatic Quest, a placed in listed races on the level, has more scope for improvement.

Mary Reveley's team continues to be in sparkling form, Tom's River (2.00) contributing to the stable's purple patch with a rousing success at Catterick last month.

On that occasion I had invested a tidy sum on 20-1 shot Sniper, who was clear of his field jumping the final fence.

For the record I have never fallen into the trap of counting my winnings until the horses have passed the post, which in this case was a wise move since Tom's River came from another county to nail Sniper under a brilliant drive by Paddy Aspell.

Jonjo O'Neill did the business for this column yesterday, landing the nap with the generously priced Intersky Falcon at 7-2.

O'Neill yard can do little wrong at present, boding well for the prospects of Bold Investment (1.45) in the opening Tote Exacta Handicap Hurdle at Wincanton.

Bold Investment, who absolutely bolted up over two-and-half-miles at Doncaster 38 days ago, now steps up a couple of furlongs and could be even better at the new trip.

There's a pathetic turnout for the £25,000 Jim Ford Chase with only four runners facing the starter. When will the BHB learn the principles of proper prize money distribution?

On the official ratings it's a straight match between the former Cheltenham Gold winner See More Business and Upgrade. The recent form figures for See More Business tell their own sad story so the tip has to be Upgrade, partnered by the peerless Tony McCoy.

The following Axminster Carpets sponsored Kingwell Hurdle is traditionally a Champion Hurdle trial and if Hors La Loi lll (2.50) is to enter the Cheltenham picture, he must win this with authority.

Every winter David Barron susses out any number of winning opportunities for his team on the sand, Dispol Rock (3.20) the latest to enter the reckoning at Southwell.

Dispol Rock is a gross and stuffy individual so it came as no great shock that he ran out of puff on his seasonal reappearance at the course. I believe he'll strip a far fitter individual today and must take all of the beating in the Betdirect.co.uk Handicap over a mile-and-a-half.

* More rain has eased the going at both Kempton and Haydock, where important meetings are scheduled this weekend.

The ground at Kempton is now good to soft for the two-day fixture featuring Saturday's £90,000 Racing Post Chase, while at Haydock the going is described as heavy in advance of the £100,000 De Vere Gold Cup.

''We had 10mm of rain at Kempton last night and the odd shower today," said clerk of the course Brian Clifford yesterday.

''We had 19mm of rain last night and this morning and that has just put us back to heavy,'' said Haydock clerk of the course Adam Tellwright