DUAL course winner Man On The Hill (3.10) makes plenty of appeal in the W. A. Stephenson Memorial Novices' Chase at Sedgefield.

Not too many horses improve after leaving Martin Pipe, but there's always an exception to the rule and Man On The Hill has thrived since joining Ferdy Murphy.

Much of the credit must go to his talented young jockey J P McNamara, who has spent endless hours on Middleham High Moor getting the hard-pulling Man On The Hill to learn the art of restraint.

Now that the formerly headstrong six-year-old has been taught to settle, he has plenty of fuel left in reserve when the chips are down at the end of his races.

The meeting gets underway with an Amateur Riders' contest likely to go to the top-weight Bowles Patrol (1.10) if he is anywhere near his best.

Bowles Patrol has to be rated one of the unluckiest losers of the season, having been incorrectly steered the "wrong" side of the omitted third last fence at Southwell in May.

Although coming home 11 lengths ahead of the opposition, and clearly the winner on merit, his jockey had technically infringed the rules and Bowles Patrol was disqualified.

Another top-weight with a leading chance is City Gent in the two -mile Handicap Chase at 2.10.

City Gent is taking time to get his act together this term, but he's been dropped a few pounds as a result of a couple of modest efforts and is certainly back on a mark off which he should be able to make his presence felt.

Ron Hodges has wasted no time at all in switching Wincanton-bound Noble Justice (2.00) from hurdles to fences.

With two placed runs from three starts under his belt, Noble Justice appeared to have a bright future over timber. But Hodges is having none of it because he's snapped up the services of Tony McCoy and thrown his promising five-year-old in at the deep end for the Guinness Novices' Chase.

It's a ploy I believe will pay handsome dividends with the main danger likely to materialise from Meander from Henrietta Knight's stable, responsible for a sparkling treble at Kempton yesterday.

The Official Handicapper has really given the old-timer Cezanne (4.00) a chance in the closing Peter Allen Handicap Hurdle.

The 12-year-old is nowhere near the force he was four or five years ago, but there was more than a hint that he was in back in clover when a staying fourth at Kempton on his seasonal reappearance.

I often use the Shoreham-based company Superform for my ratings analysis and they have Joy For Life (3.20) well clear at Warwick in the Makro Handicap Chase.

Backers will have to take a chance on Joy For Life's fitness as she's been off games for no less than 542 days, but on the plus side it is a poor event and so the selection might be able to collect even if not 100 per cent straight.

In the first ever four-year-olds only chase to be run in this country, Tysou (2.20) should appreciate the return to the minimum trip of two miles, having failed to see out an extra four furlongs on his return at Chepstow.

* GIRL'S BEST FRIEND landed a 9-2 winning nap selection for Janus (Colin Woods) at Wolverhampton yesterday