Fiddling The Facts is the value bet to belie her uninspiring form figures in the £70,000-added Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup at Newbury today. Teeton Mill and The Toiseach head the market for the three and a quarter mile chase after winning impressively on their respective reappearances.

Both are considered well-handicapped with 4lb penalties - but Fiddling The Facts is also nicely treated.

Nicky Henderson's mare lost her way at a crucial stage last season, being pulled up at both the Cheltenham and Aintree festivals - but she did not start second favourite for the Royal and SunAlliance Chase for nothing.

Fiddling The Facts took the scalp of Ottowa on her Lingfield reappearance last term - solid form - and then went on to win the Feltham Novices' Chase at Kempton Christmas, crushing Forest Ivory by six lengths.

And at Chepstow in February, Fiddling The Facts ran Escartefigue to half a length - the pair a distance clear - a run which looks extremely good given Escartefigue's subsequent second to current Gold Cup favourite Florida Pearl at Cheltenham followed by an impressive win in the Martell Cup.

Henderson is a past master at getting his horses fighting fit first time out and Fiddling The Facts may be caught best when fresh in any case. She certainly looks overpriced at 12 to 1.

James Fanshawe's The Toiseach took well to fences last term, winning five of his six starts, and showed further improvement on his reappearance at Ascot.

Taking up the running after the fifth and, despite a mistake four out, he forged clear from the home turn to register a decisive 11length win over Court Melody.

In today's feature, even with a 4lb penalty, The Toiseach will be racing off a 5lb lower mark and he rates a big danger.

Ex-hunter chaser Teeton Mill won easily on his Wincanton reappearance and must also be feared but he represents poor value at around 5 to 2.

Marello can take her record to nine wins from 11 starts in the Solaglas Long Distance Hurdle. Mary Reveley's mare was found wanting in the top races over two miles and has relished the step up to three.

On her seasonal debut in a Grade Two event at Wetherby last month she looked in fine shape and showed herself as good as ever with a stylish display to trounce Nigel's Lad by 11 lengths. Medaille Militaire, who was found out in heavy ground at Ascot last time, can bounce back in the Newbury Saab Novices' Hurdle.

Midnight Legend is a very interesting runner in the £35,000 Newcastle Building Society Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Gosforth Park. David Nicholson's seven-year-old missed last season but was tipped for the top in 1996/7, winning the Seagram Top Novices' Hurdle at Aintree by two lengths from Sharpical and also landing a valuable race in at Punchestown.

The progressive Noosa Sound is well suited by a test of stamina and can follow up a recent Sedgefield win in the Jasmor Rent-ACar Handicap Chase.