WETHERBY'S Charlie Hall Chase represents an ideal opportunity for some of National Hunt's big boys to climb into the ring and shed some of the flab accumulated from a summer at grass.

Believe me, there'll be a few swinging bellies in the parade prior to the £90,000 showpiece, but hopefully not around the girth of Our Vic (3.25), reportedly in the rudest of order by trainer David Pipe, out to prove he can carry on where his record-breaking father, Martin, left off.

"The aim is to tackle three miles again with him, he looks brilliant and is flying," said Pipe, the man entrusted with converting the gelding from two-and-a-half-mile specialist to genuine Cheltenham Gold Cup contender.

Our Vic is one of those individuals who on his day is outstanding but sadly has another, far darker, side, one which reared its ugly head when running like a total duffer in both the Robin Cook Gold Cup and Ryanair Chase last season.

Such Jekyll and Hyde traits don't always endear the David Johnson-owned bay to punters but he's actually landed plenty of mighty gambles, including at this year's Cheltenham Festival, when routing his opponents to claim the Faucets Silver Trophy.

You pays your money and takes your chances. He's a good 'un alright on his day, therefore let's trust to luck and see if, like Glenn Miller's immortal swing band composition, Our Vic's "In The Mood".

It all appears a bit bleak for northern-trained horses, with Pipe's southern neighbour, Wiltshire's Alan King, sending up a couple of top guns in the guise of Katchit (1.45) and My Way de Solzen (2.50).

Unbeaten Flat recruit Katchit bids for a hat-trick in the Wensleydale Hurdle, while another of this year's Festival heroes, My Way de Solzen, triumphant in the Stayers Hurdle, has been the subject of encouraging gallop reports.

"He looks tremendous and the John Smith's Hurdle has always been the plan. He might have another run over hurdles, although my gut feeling is he'll be chasing before Christmas," said an upbeat King.

Racing North ten-to-follow stalwart Rio Riva makes only his seventh appearance of the current campaign when lining up for Newmarket's bet365 Handicap, a one-mile contest in which he holds excellent each-way prospects.

Followers of the ten-to-follow fortunes are indebted to Malton's Julie Camacho, who has done a sublime job with Rio Riva, placing him to win two of those six outings at respective odds of 8s and 9-1.

The consistent four-year-old also went within an ace of adding to an already superb haul by narrowly failing to catch Nanton in the final of Redcar's Straight Mile Championship, a thriller he might well have won but for losing several lengths due to a tardy start. Saying the jockey was at fault is often simply an excuse to hide disappointment, but in this case young Jamie Moriaty didn't seem to have his wits about him when the stalls flew open.

Old pro Tony Culhane, who steered Rio Riva (3.45) to success on his initial foray of the year, has been reinstated in the plate to partner the selection for the £30,000 event.

Another raider hailing from this neck of the woods worthy of each-way support is Passion Fruit (4.55), a mare in the form of her life for Middleham handler Chris Fairhurst.

On the increasingly rare occasions Fairhurst gets his hands on anything half-decent, he generally comes good, a remark that certainly applies to Passion Fruit, who has improved from a 47-rated modest handicapper to her present-day status of near-listed-class five-year-old.

In an attempt to get some precious "black type" against her name, so crucial for broodmare value, Fairhurst went down the listed route last time out at today's course, an experiment which only failed because the distance of six furlongs was inadequate.

But even though Passion Fruit didn't make the frame, she was passing horses like an express train in the final furlong, showing her trademark acceleration which promises to be far more lethal over this afternoon's extra furlong.

Several jocks make the dash from Newmarket to Wolverhampton.

Winston's agent has obviously been beavering away like a dervish, getting Robert five rides in all, kicking off with Bonne de Fleur (7.30), one of the more likely types to get involved in the climax of the Betting Play Handicap.

Beverley's draw bias has become so utterly farcical that single-figure horses in sprints might just as well stay at home, a fate which befell Bonne de Fleur when she was eclipsed at the track from stall eight 45 days ago.

The first five to finish were drawn ten or higher in a field of 13, those scheduled to emerge from berths two, five, six and seven, were all not-so-mysteriously declared non-runners by their connections. Wake up Beverley executive and do something about it, because it's a joke at present.

Bonne de Fleu has no such disadvantage this evening and the knowledge she's a previous course scorer and Winston's strength-in-the saddle add up to a potent formula for the six-furlong race.