It's back to Ascot tomorrow for Baracouda as he bids to win the £60,000 Cantor Sport Long Walk Hurdle for the second successive year.

The French raider, unbeaten in his last ten races, will start at short odds to extend his impressive sequence, despite a scare on this course last month.

On that occasion Baracouda ran in a four-horse race which turned into a very tactical affair, with Mr Cool stealing a march on his three rivals by building-up a lead of some 40 lengths.

Quite how Baracouda managed to get up and nail his front-running rival in the dying strides after giving him so much start illustrated the immense power of this seven-year-old, who stands alone at the top of staying hurdlers in Europe.

Trained by Francois Doumen and the regular mount of his son Thierry, Baracouda will be in his element over an extended three miles tomorrow.

It will be a major shock if his impressive winning sequence is brought to an end in one of three races to be shown live on BBC2.

Puntal is the other star performer on show at Ascot, with Martin Pipe's gelding going for the £25,000 Gerrard Wealth Management Novices' Hurdle.

The £100,000 Ladbroke Hurdle on Saturday had been considered for Puntal, but Pipe has elected to go for this lesser event.

A prolific winner, Puntal has not been seen out since the spring, but Pipe's horses rarely fail through lack of fitness. He should be hard to beat under Tony McCoy.

Mr Baxter Basics, who ran a decent race to finish second to Hermes at Sandown last time, is taken to go one better in the other televised event, the £20,000 Fund For Epilepsy Chase.

Monte Cristo, my Nap selection, should make a bold bid in the PML Novices' Handicap Chase.

Lavinia Taylor's French-bred four-year-old won well at Plumpton last time and, although he's got more on his plate here, he looks a horse on the upgrade. Andrew Thornton has the mount.

The well-regarded Far Horizon (1.00) and recent winner Sure Future (1.30) are also worth noting.

At Uttoxeter, No Need For Alarm has the look of a very likely winner in the BBC Radio Stoke Novices' Chase over two miles.

Paul Nicholls' charge has won both his starts over fences this season and looks a useful recruit. A hat-trick is on the cards.

Last month's winner Sh Boom (1.20) and the promising Gola Supreme (3.00) are two others to keep an eye on at the Midlands track.

Friday's tips:

Ascot

1.00 Far Horizon, 1.30 Sure Future, 2.05 Monte Cristo (Nap), 2.40 Baracouda, 3.10 Mr Baxter Basics, 3.40 Puntal.

Uttoxeter

12.45 Cresswell Quay, 1.20 Sh Boom, 1.50 Va Pensiero, 2.25 No Need For Alarm, 3.00 Gola Supreme, 3.30 The River Joker.

Updated: 13:02 Thursday, December 19, 2002