YOUNG TOMO could be heading for the valuable Becher Chase at Aintree this month following his victory in the long distance Hartburn Handicap Chase at Sedgefield yesterday.

"He jumps for England and will come alive when he sees those big fences at Liverpool," said successful trainer Howard Johnson.

Johnson, who had a winner at Aintree on Sunday with Ballybough Rasher, is not long back from a spending spree at the Newmarket Sales, where he bought four horses, including a couple of Sadler's Wells colts.

"Covent Garden in particular looks a lovely horse, but he'll need gelding," said Johnson about the former Sir Michael Stoute inmate,

Cool-as-a-cucumber Richard Guest took the honours as far as jockeyship was concerned with a brilliant waiting ride on Rebel Son in the Hardwick Handicap Hurdle.

Guest was in no hurry to produce the top-weight, biding his time behind the early leaders until pouncing after the second last flight. Rebel Son responded to Richard's patience by positively pinging the final hurdle to record an effortless three-and-a-half length victory.

Cock-a-hoop trainer Andy Scott, based at Elsdon near Otterburn, was in jubilant mood after the contest. "He's fit, he's well, and still improving," said Scott about his strapping seven-year-old.

Ferdy Murphy had no specific plans for his impressive scorer, Man On The Hill, having witnessed the giant-sized gelding run away with the Jayne Thompson Memorial Chase.

"We'll probably keep him out of the deep end for the moment," said Murphy after the two-mile-and-five-furlong event.

Jonjo O'Neill's relentless march towards his half-century of winners continued apace when Intersky Falcon made every yard of the running in the EBF Novices' Hurdle to notch O'Neill's 46th success.

Former Liverpool midfield dynamo, Terry McDermott, representing the partnership who own the horse said: "Jumping won him the race, he's great little battler."

Northern Echo ran his best race to date when finishing second to the 50-1 shock winner of the Selling Hurdle, Twin Pleasures.

"He'll win a little seller on the basis of that run," reported jockey Brian Storey.

His tactics of conserving Northern Echo's stamina by holding him up for a late surge worked admirably