DAN SKELTON, aiming to expose a loophole in the penalty system, can complete a rapid hat-trick of wins with Storm Of Swords at Sedgefield this afternoon.

The Warwickshire trainer, a former assistant to Paul Nicholls, has placed the gelding to gain two easy wins over hurdles, here and at Southwell, within the last ten days.

This afternoon, Storm Of Swords reappears over fences and, instead of carrying the 14lb penalty assigned to him in the handicap hurdle half-an-hour earlier, is able to race without any penalty at all.

The system in place penalises hurdle to hurdle and chase to chase and allows total concessions for horses swapping disciplines.

Sword Of Swords seems in the form of his life at present and being able to line up in the Betfred Supports Jack Berry House Novices’ Handicap Chase will entitle him to start a red-hot favourite.

With the trainer’s brother Harry Skelton in the saddle, the seven-year-old promises to be very hard to beat, provided, of course, he handles this first attempt at the bigger obstacles.

North Yorkshire trainer Ben Haslam can complete a double in the first two races with Hi Dancer and Mad For Road.

Hi Dancer, who runs in the Betfred ‘Racing’s Biggest Supporter’ Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle, finished last of ten on his comeback on this course last month.

But it was his first outing since last May and this 12-time winner should strip a lot fitter this afternoon.

Mad For Road may not be anything like the best horse owned by JP McManus, but the gelding carried the well-known owner’s familiar green and yellow hooped colours to victory on this course last month.

He is not the easiest of customers to predict, but Mad For Road has every chance of obliging again in the Betfred ‘Follow Us On Facebook’ Handicap Hurdle, provided he can lower the colours of Light The City, trained at Stillington by Ruth Carr and bidding for a hat-trick of wins.

The £20,000 Betfred Open Handicap Hurdle Final takes pride of place on the Sedgefield card and it could be worth taking a chance on Wolf Sword proving too sharp for his more experienced rivals.

George Moore’s gelding, a bumper winner last season, has yet to score in three starts over hurdles, but he has shaped well to finish runner-up at Wetherby and Carlisle on his last two outings.

He could go well on his handicap debut.

Also worth noting are the Brian Ellison-trained Gone Forever (4.05), who is already a winner over hurdles, and Malcolm Jefferson’s Cloudy Dream (5.15), who finished third, admittedly well held, on his debut here in December.

The Jefferson squad are in considerably better form now than they were then.

At Newbury, Wuff makes plenty of appeal in the Oakley Coachbuilders Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase.

Winner of two of his three races over hurdles last season, Wuff was sidelined for a year before finishing third to Oscar Fortune on his chasing debut at Haydock last month.

That outing should have done him the world of good and the Tom George-trained gelding can deliver a win here in the hands of Paddy Brennan.

Royal Guardsman catches the eye in the Carter Jonas Handicap Hurdle.

Restricted to only two outings so far this season, Ali Stronge’s eight-year-old won nicely on this course three weeks ago.

His 6lb rise in the weights does not look prohibitive and he is selected to follow up carrying the nap vote.

Warren Greatrex has his horses in excellent form and the trainer, who recently notched his first Cheltenham Festival success with Cole Harden, could have a big say in the outcome of the Pheasant Inn Handicap Chase with Top Dancer.

The eight-year-old is not an easy horse to train, and this will be his belated seasonal debut.

But he has won two of his six chases, and also has winning course form. He would be a dangerous horse to dismiss lightly.

Sedgefield today: 2.00 Hi Dancer, 2.30 Mad For Road, 3.00 Storm Of Swords, 3.35 Wolf Sword, 4.05 Gone Forever, 4.40 Debt To Society, 5.15 Cloudy Dream.

Newbury today: 2.10 Champagne Express, 2.40 Top Dancer, 3.10 Last Shadow, 3.45 Wuff, 4.20 Royal Guardsman (NAP), 4.55 Twirling Magnet, 5.25 Border Breaker.

Today’s other meetings: Lingfield and Wolverhampton.