WANT to see a Grand National winner? Then Doncaster is the place to be today.

Comply Or Die, hero of steeplecashing’s greatest race last April, runs in the featured £50,000 Coolfun Grimthorpe Chase, which has been selected as a final warm-up race by trainer David Pipe before he returns to Aintree to bid for a second taste of Grand National glory.

His two runs so far this season have, alas, left plenty to be desired, and Comply Or Die will need to return to something like his best if he is to clinch this valuable prize under Timmy Murphy, his Grand National-winning partner.

My vote goes to Noir Et Vert, trained at West Witton near Middleham by Ferdy Murphy, who looks to be running into form and will appreciate the expected sound surface.

The nap vote is awarded to Medicinal in the State Of Dance Handicap Chase.

Trained by Paul Nicholls, the eight-year-old finished a good second on his latest start at Fontwell. With Harry Skelton claiming a handy 5lb off his back tomorrow, he is taken to come out on top, perhaps at the main expense of Murphy’s Beggars Cap, who holds a Cheltenham entry in ten days time.

Tim Walford saddles Sheriff Hutton – named after his training base – in the Sands 5th Year Handicap Hurdle over an extended three miles.

A winner over this course and distance earlier in the season, the gelding has run two pretty solid races in defeat since that victory. It would be no surprise to see him bounce back with another win.

The promising Nodforms Violet (4.00) and the useful West End Rocker (4.35) are two others to note on Town Moor, which stages its final jumping action of the season.

The next Doncaster meeting, at the end of March, will feature the Lincoln Handicap.

At Mussleburgh tomorrow, Joe Jo Star is napped to land the £14,000 Racing UK The UK’s Best Racecourses Live Handicap Hurdle.

The Richard Fahey-trained gelding, a winner on this course, returned here on his latest start and produced his best display to date, finishing fifth, beaten only four lengths by the winner Euorpean Dream, in a hot and valuable handicap. He is fancied to get an even bigger slice of the prize fund tomorrow in the capable hands of Brian Hughes.

Howard Johnson rarely leaves Musselburgh empty-handed and tomorrow should be no exception for the County Durham trainer.

Johnson saddles Caravel (2.30), Laborec (4.00) and Alvarado (5.00) and all three have sound chances.

Caravel is a previous winner on this course, Laborec returns to hurdles after a decent effort over fences on his latest start, while Alvarado showed sure signs of ability here last month behind Hunters Belt and may be able to turn the tables on his conqueror tomorrow.

Racing selections

Doncaster (today).

1.50 Paktolos, 2.25 Carndonagh, 2.55 Sheriff Hutton, 3.25 Noir Et Vert, 4.00 Nodforms Violet, 4.35 West End Rocker, 5.10 Medicinal (NAP).

Today’s other meetings: Kelso, Kempton, Newbury.

Musselburgh (tomorrow).

2.30 Caravel, 3.00 Categorical, 3.30 Joe Jo Star (NAP), 4.00 Laborec, 4.30 Yankee Holiday, 5.00 Alvarado.

Tomorrow’s other meetings: Huntingdon, Lingfield.