Tony McCoy, who failed to get on the scoresheet at last week's Cheltenham Festival, journeys north to Wetherby tomorrow with every chance of making his trip worthwhile.

Successful on Mister Mustard at Fontwell yesterday, Lambourn-based McCoy teams-up with Kingsclere trainer Andrew Balding in the Halifax Handicap Hurdle and the pair can carry off the prize with the promising Briareus.

The five-year-old has had just two outings to date, finishing second on his debut at Chepstow and winning at Kempton on his next start.

That victory, achieved earlier this month, saw Briareus in a favourable light as he battled back like a lion to get the better of Classic Role by half-a-length.

There should be more to come from Briareus, who should give McCoy a good ride in his first tilt at handicap company.

The champion jockey has also been booked by Cleveland trainer Keith Reveley to partner Brave Rebellion in the Wetherby Racecourse Standard Open National Hunt Flat Race.

Placed on both his outings so far, Brave Rebellion went down by only half-a-length to the favourite Bougoure at Catterick last time after the pair had drawn three lengths clear of the remainder of the field.

The six-year-old may not have to improve much on that effort to get his head in front here and provide McCoy with another winner.

In the Rocom NEC Handicap Chase, The Merry Mason makes plenty of appeal.

Not only is Sue Smith's gelding a previous winner on this course, he comes into battle in good heart following a recent six-lengths success at Bangor.

At Lingfield, Middleham trainer Karl Burke can figure on the scoreboard with He's A Rocket in the Littlewoods Pools Banded Stakes over five furlongs.

The minimum trip suits the four-year-old ideally and he comes here after a narrow defeat at Southwell last week when he failed by a neck to catch the favourite Beamsley Beacon.

Although he has never previously scored on this course, He's A Rocket is a Wolverhampton winner and that venue, like Lingfield, uses a polytrack surface. Francis Norton has the mount on the nap selection.

There is not too much to get excited about at this low-grade meeting, but Neil Callan, who on Saturday, won the all-weather jockeys'winter championship, looks set for at least one winner.

Callan teams up with Tropical Son (2-30), who is long overdue a win, having stacked-up a sequence of placed efforts in recent weeks. Opportunity is fancied to come knocking for Derek Shaw's stayer tomorrow.

Also worth noting are Another Con (3-05) and Muqtadi (4-50), two previous course winners.

Tomorrow's Tips:

Wetherby

2-20 Tandava, 2-55 See You There, 3-30 West Coaster, 4-05 Briareus, 4-40 The Merry Mason, 5-15 Brave Rebellion

Lingfield

2-30 Tropical Son, 3-05 Another Con, 3-40 Firebird Rising, 4-15 Bulawayo, 4-50 Muqtadi, 5-25 He's A Rocket (NAP)

Tomorrow's other meeting is at Exeter.

Tom O'Ryan's Nap for this afternoon's racing was: Xpres Digital in the 2.30 at Southwell

Updated: 10:04 Monday, March 21, 2005