Mr Ex on the road

It's only a lowly selling hurdle in which Mr Ex competes, but from a trainers' perspective its vitally important to keep your name in the headlines and his long-distance traveler appears to hold outstanding prospects.

Harker claimed the gelding out of Howard Johnson's yard having finished runner-up to Beamish Prince in a marginally stronger Catterick contest, a reproduction of which should safely see Mr Ex home in today's weaker race.

The way Spike Jones (3.10) drifted in the market at Chepstow you'd think he was limping around the paddock during the preliminaries.

It was a most curious state of affairs considering how easily the selection had won previously at Taunton, a victory entitling him to play a leading role in the Novices' Handicap Chase if returning to anything like his best.

Hard-pulling Constable Burton (4.10) ruined any chance he had at Newbury recently with mulish display of headstrong antics which left him bereft of energy with a half-mile to go.

Provided Mattie Batchelor can do a better job anchoring the combination for the Lindley Catering Handicap Hurdle, the useful six-year-old could easily exploit what may prove to be a lenient handicap rating.

Despite what, on paper at least, seemed a dismal Lingfield reappearance by Double Spectre (4.00), it might pay to ignore that effort when only beating two of his rivals in the 13-runner line-up.

You might think 11th place meant a right old pasting for Double Spectre, but it was a real bunch finish and the son of Spectrum ended up just five lengths behind the winner, King After.

Trainer Jean-Rene Auvray has now found a suitable opening for his five-year-old at Bath in the ten-furlong Weatherbys Printing Handicap, a race tailor-made for the underrated gelding.

There can only be one winner of the closing five furlong Handicap if Fizzlephut (5.00) is in the same mood as when streaking to success on a triumphant visit to Wolverhampton 12 days ago.