North Yorkshire gelding Shadows Lengthen heads to Sedgefield today in a bid to complete a full set of racing wins.

The Mick Easterby-trained gelding has won six races on the Flat and two over hurdles, and now aims to post his first chasing victory on his second attempt over the major obstacles.

On his fencing debut at Catterick a couple of weeks ago, Shadows Lengthen failed by only a head. There was plenty to like about that performance and the seven-year-old promises to take plenty of beating in the Compare Bookmakers With bookmakers.co.uk Novices’ Chase.

Neil Mulholland, now training successfully in Wiltshire, makes the long journey to Sedgefield with excellent prospects of a treble.

Mulholland was formerly based as a jockey in Middleham with Ferdy Murphy, so he know all about the demands of this course.

In the long-distance handicap hurdle, he is represented by Hobb’s Dream (1.40), a proven stayer, while recent Doncaster winner Matrow’s Lady (2.10), bids to complete a follow up in the mares’ handicap hurdle.

Uimhir A Seacht (2.40) has discovered a rich vein of form for Mulholland recently and the six-year-old goes for a hat-trick of wins in the handicap hurdle over an extended two miles.

He will again be ridden by Chris Meehan, who has struck up a good rapport with him and whose riding allowance will help in reducing his hefty 12lb penalty.

Donald McCain continues to fire in winners galore and his Counsel (12.40) will be hard to beat in the opening hurdle race.

A Bangor winner two starts back, Counsel has since run a decent race in a tough Grade 2 contest at Doncaster, won by the highly-regarded and unbeaten Kashmir Peak.

On the Flat at Lingfield tomorrow, York-based jockey Robert Winston can click again on Temple Road in the first division of the Blue Square Bet Sprint Series Handicap.

Milton Bradley’s speedster has been in rude health lately, winning on this course and at Kempton. A treble looks on the cards.

In the second division of the sprint handicap, Polar Venture (2.00) makes plenty of appeal.

The William Haggas-trained gelding has had only three career starts and is open to further improvement. Not at his best when upped to seven furlongs last time, he will appreciate this drop back to six furlongs and the return to a course where he has won in the past.

Mark Johnston can figure among the Lingfield winners.

He saddles Irish Dream in the lingfieldpark.co.uk Maiden Stakes and this newcomer, a nicely-bred daughter of Oasis Dream, would not need to be anything out of the ordinary to make a winning debut.

Johnston also saddles Staffhoss in the featured Forest Row Handicap.

A winner on this track three starts back, Staffhoss has finished runner-up in his two outings since and went down by only a head over seven furlongs here ten days ago.

He steps up to a mile tomorrow and is fancied to resume winning ways under Joe Fanning.

Also worth noting are the promising David Elsworth- trained Emerging (12.15), who is selected to lose his maiden at his third attempt and Understory (3.40), who is seeking deserved compensation after going down in a photo- finish on this course last week.


Racing selections

Sedgefield today
12.40 Counsel, 1.10 Shadows Lengthen, 1.40 Hobb’s Dream, 2.10 Matrow’s Lady, 2.40 Uimhir A Seacht, 3.10 Simonside, 3.40 The Bold Lord.

Today’s other meetings: Huntingdon, Lingfield and Wolverhampton.

Lingfield tomorrow
11.45 Ajeeb, 12.15 Emerging, 12.50 Irish Dream, 1.25 Temple Road, 2.00 Polar Venture, 2.35 Staffhoss, 3.10 Kaafel, 3.40 Understory.

Tomorrow’s other meetings: Kempton, Warwick and Wetherby.