TOP jockey Timmy Murphy takes a trip to Sedgefield this afternoon in the hope of going away with a double via Palace Walk (2.30) and Mandingo Chief (4.30).

Murphy rides the majority of David Pipe's horses, but trainer Brendan Powell snaps up the Irish ace when possible and his presence aboard Palace Walk can only be regarded as a major bonus.

Not many four-year-olds are considered mature enough to tackle the bigger obstacles, however, Powell clearly feels his youngster has the strength for the BGP Consulting Engineers Beginners' Chase.

Palace Walk was no mug as a hurdler, rated 108 when a beaten favourite last time out and if he can reproduce that level of ability on his first try over fences, victory is there for the taking.

Mandingo Chief, a smooth winner on his penultimate start at Southwell, bids to make up for a recent Uttoxeter calamity when unseating Mick Fitzgerald at the first.

Fitzgerald's top-flight record speaks for itself, but for my money Murphy just has the edge in the riding stakes and it's not hard envisage the latter partnering Mandingo Chief to success in the LJJ Contractors Handicap Chase.

Divine's White's efforts to shed her maiden tag have fallen on stony ground thus far, nonetheless she's shown enough to be getting off the mark before long.

Amanda Perrett's filly heads to Lingfield for the seven furlong Book Online Fillies' Handicap, a race well within her remit seeing as it is a very weak affair.

Divine White was unlucky to run up against the well-handicapped Celtic Spa at Chepstow last time out, but, with nothing of her calibre in today's line-up, an inaugural visit to the winners' enclosure beckons.

In the opening Racecourse Novices' Stakes, Karl Burke's long-distance Middleham raider, Holdon Foldin, must be in with a serious shout on his all-weather debut.

Burke paid 16,000 guineas for Holdin Foldin (2.10), who has quickly set about repaying his modest purchase price by winning two of his three career starts at Musselburgh and Newcastle.

Siding with short-priced favourites in handicaps has never been the staple diet of this column, nevertheless there's always the odd exception and Chicken Soup (8.30) does look like the proverbial steering job in Haydock's night cap.

* Malton trainer Richard Fahey has high hopes for Fishforcompliments, who overcame his inexperience to open his account in the racinguk.tv Maiden Auction Stakes at Haydock Park.

''Once he learns to gallop he'll be a proper horse,'' Fahey said afterwards. ''Once he did stick his head down he flew. ''We like him a lot. He's got some fancy entries but I don't know where to go. He definitely needs to go to the races a bit more.''