NORTH-EASTERN raiders Robbo (2.15) and Merry Masquerade (2.50) are strongly fancied to plunder the two top prizes on offer at Ascot this afternoon.

Mary Reveley's talented duo are both in their element when the mud is flying and with ground conditions described as virtually bottomless at the Berkshire track neither should return home empty-handed.

Robbo is first on stage for the £15,000 Grosvenor Casinos Handicap Chase over an extended two-miles-and-three-furlongs.

Having run a succession of blinders early on the season, he was subjected to a vicious climb in the weights and subsequently cut little ice in the much sought-after Racing Post Chase over three miles at Kempton.

Today's switch back to a shorter trip might just be the catalyst required to spark a deserved revival at a venue where the made-to-measure stiff uphill finish is all in his favour.

Merry Masquerade has even bigger fish to fry in the £31,000 Grade 2 Weatherbys Hurdle.

It's a case of the further the better for the powerful Reveley team's dour staying hurdler, who has the ability to gallop the opposition into submission when the going gets really rough.

Crucially he seems to respond best to the urgings of jockey Andrew Thornton, the combination producing a remarkable performance to score at Kempton last time out.

Punters who backed Merry Masquerade on that occasion could be forgiven for tearing up their betting slips with four furlongs to travel because he looked dead and buried.

But Thornton simply would not give up on his partner, who eventually responded gamely by conjuring up a rally of jet-propelled proportions to overtake the entire field in the closing stages and land a highly-improbable victory.

Not to be outdone, Haydock also puts on a cracking jumping card, featuring the £10,000 Tote Scoop6 Showcase Handicap Hurdle at 3.10.

There are countless runners with realistic prospects of making the frame, including the Martin Pipe-trained top-weight McHattie, Malcom Jefferson's improving novice Winchester, plus the totally unexposed Glacial Dancer (3.10).

Trainer Lenny Lungo is a dab hand at placing his horses in this type of competitive hurdle and he'll be fully aware that the official handicapper has had precious little evidence upon which to rate the lightly-raced Glacial Dancer.

One thing's for certain, the selection, who didn't take any prisoners when winning following a similarly long lay-off at Ayr 419 days ago, will not want for fitness having been expertly prepared on Lungo's testing mountain-like Scottish gallops.

In the later Buzz Handicap Chase, Ballad Minstrel (4.40) has the class the take the contest, provided he is in a positive frame of mind.

Jimmy FitzGerald's enigmatic grey ended a two-year drought when mercilessly crushing a decent field at Wetherby in February. A reproduction of that effort would surely be sufficient to complete a double, although such is his quirky nature, he could just as easily down tools.

Unusually large fields at Market Rasen are purely a reflection of the paucity of National Hunt racing over recent weeks.

Sadly that only makes life more difficult for the discerning backer, as the competition is much more fierce than usual.

One of the likelier opportunities to make a bob or two lies with Blotoft (2.10) in the Ancholme Handicap Chase.

Steve Gollings, on the mark with Sister Superior in a valuable Mares' Only event at Newbury last Saturday, clearly has his string in good order.

And there was plenty to like about Blotoft's comeback outing at the track a fortnight ago, when he looked likely to take a hand in the finish before running out of fuel after the third-last fence.

Sharpened considerably by the run, the eight-year-old former track and trip winner should now be ready to strike another blow for his in-form handler.

Ed Dunlop has yet to reveal any of his heavy artillery, nevertheless he has been poaching a few races on the sand since the turn of the year.

One notable example was Lingfield winner Illusionist (3.00), now returning to the Surrey course for the Cley Handicap.

Forget his latest flop at Wolverhampton, where the trip (6f) and wide draw (11) had him scuppered before the stalls had opened.

Jamie Spencer's mount has come up roses this time with the plum number berth which, combined with a return to seven furlongs, looks an ideal recipe for success.

Ellway Prince appeared to be home and hosed at the meeting on Wednesday when he burst clear at the two furlong pole.

But Kinnino had other ideas, cutting down Norma Macauley's representative with a stunning late surge.

Far from discouraged, Norma goes back to the well in double quick fashion with the distinct possibility of handsome compensation in the Kiniochewe Handicap.