YOUNG KENNY, a leading contender for this year's Grand National, continues his preparation for the Aintree showpiece at Wetherby today in the £14,000 Rocom Chase.

Peter Beaumont's equine giant proved himself to be as good as ever with a battling success in the Becher Chase at Liverpool back in November.

That particular contest was run over three-miles-and-three-furlongs and as boundless stamina is Young Kenny's trump card, this afternoon's slight drop back in trip is not ideal.

Nevertheless he's blessed with the sort of jumping power every National Hunt trainer worth his or her salt dreams of, so with this in mind I just give him the nod over the track specialist Random Harvest.

In the earlier Harry Wharton Novices' Chase, Sir Bob (1.50) has the scope to deal with the notoriously stiff fences at the course.

Backed as if defeat was out of the question at Towcester 40 days ago, the selection simply ran too badly to be true. He was well out with the washing by the third last fence where a sloppy leap summarily ejected his amateur rider out of the saddle.

On a previous line of form at Huntingdon, Sir Bob's proximity to the subsequent Scottish National winner Paris Pike gives him an outstanding chance in this much less competitive race.

A clever piece of placing by trainer John Upson could bring about a change of fortune for Reach The Clouds (3.55) in the closing two-mile Racecourse Banqueting Handicap Hurdle.

Reach The Clouds last ran over fences off a mark of 111, however on this return to timber his rating is a mere 98.

The John Bull Chase at Wincanton has attracted a small but select field commensurate with the £17,500 added prize money on offer.

Not for the first time the shrewd Venetia Williams has spotted that the conditions of the event suit one of her inmates, Bellator (3.00), down to the ground.

The latter made a quantum leap into the top echelons of the chasing ranks when finishing a gallant third to the new Cheltenham Gold Cup favourite First Gold in the "King George" at Kempton on Boxing Day.

Mark Pitman's stable is in terrific fettle at the moment, a point underlined by the scintillating Ludlow scorer Dulas Bay (3.35) last week.

A 6lbs penalty doesn't look anything like enough to prevent the unexposed seven-year-old gelding following up in the Corscombe Novices' Chase, especially with the underrated Timmy Murphy up top.

Leading light-weight jockey Jimmy Quinn continues to partner a ton of winners on the sand and The Cottonwool Kid (1.40) plus Effervescent (2.40) might well add to his burgeoning tally at Wolverhampton.

The former, a Merrita Jones-trained nine-year-old, has already chalked up one track and trip victory demonstrating a strong affinity for the man-made surface at the Midlands venue.

Effervescent goes in the later Tote Trifecta six-furlong dash representing Tony Newcombe's yard.

Newcombe trains at altitude in Devon, a factor reckoned by some pundits to assist in the well being of his horses. Whether the theory is right or wrong, there's no doubting the sort of pace possessed by Effervescent having opened her account in blistering fashion at Southwell recently.

l Ollie McPhail faces another spell on the sidelines after again breaking his left collar-bone in a fall at Kempton yesterday.

McPhail was ruled out for almost six weeks in late October with the same injury.