Grey Abbey can lead his rivals a merry dance at Doncaster tomorrow in his bid to lift the feature race.

The Howard Johnson-trained gelding, who has the Scottish Grand National as his seasonal aim, lines-up for the Tote Scoop6 Grimthorpe Handicap Chase and, despite having to carry top-weight, looks a likely winner of this £25,000 event.

Formerly trained in Cumbria by Barry Murtagh, who did extremely well with him, Grey Abbey joined Johnson's County Durham establishment this season. Restricted so far to only two outings, the ten-year-old ran out an ultra-game winner of a hurdle race at Catterick last month, which can only have boosted his confidence after a fairly lengthy losing sequence.

Now back over fences, Grey Abbey can confirm his well-being by clinching this prize before his National bid at Ayr next month. With Graham Lee on duty at Kelso, Alan Dempsey has the mount.

Man On The Hill, another Dempsey mount, merits attention in the Auckley Handicap Chase.

Ferdy Murphy's gelding, a decent runner-up to course specialist Aelred at Newcastle last time, was denied a good oppportunity when Wetherby's mid-week meeting fell foul of the weather. Compensation can be gained here.

Royal Shakespeare, an impressive winner on his recent debut, will be hard to beat in the opening Light Infantry Plate Novices' Hurdle, while Fireaway returns from a long absence in the Bawtry Beginners' Chase, and this former useful hurdler is not to be underestimated.

Tomorrow's principal card takes place at Newbury, where no less than £100,000 will be up for grabs in the Vodafone Gold Cup Handicap Chase.

Paul Nicholls and Ruby Walsh, one of the most formidable partnerships around, team-up with nap selection Exit Swinger in this jackpot event and the nine-year-old is my idea of the winner.

Formerly trained by Martin Pipe, Nicholls' great West Country rival, Exit Swinger has returned to something like his best and was a convincing winner at Wincanton last time, having previously ruffled the feathers of the mighty Edredon Bleu on the same course.

In the Vodafone Handicap Hurdle, Hawadeth should go well for trainer Victor Dartnell.

The nine-year-old is Cheltenham-bound for a crack at the County Hurdle and this £14,000 race would be a useful prize to pick up along the way. A more than useful handicapper, who can boast a couple of creditable efforts in defeat this winter, his winning turn looks imminent.

In the Vodafone Novices' Handicap Chase, which opens the Newbury action, Talbot Lad is expected to make a bold bid for trainer Steve Brookshaw and jockey Tom Siddall.

Never out of the first two in three outings this season, and a fluent winner at Ludlow in January, Talbot Lad had the misfortune of bumping into the high-class Venn Ottery at the same course last time.

Saturday's tips:

Doncaster

2-00 Royal Shakespeare, 2-35 Grey Abbey, 3-05 Man On The Hill, 3-40 Il Cavaliere, 4-15 Fireaway, 4-50 Pompeii, 5-20 Stoneyford Ben.

Newbury

1-45 Talbot Lad, 2-20 Hawadeth, 2-55 Prominent Profile, 3-30 Exit Swinger (NAP), 4-00 Eva So Charming, 4-35 Ranelagh Gray, 5-10 Itsa Legend.

Tomorrow's other meetings are at Huntingdon and Kelso.

Updated: 12:13 Friday, March 05, 2004