Mason to initiate double with Brancepeth Belle

Norman Mason sends four horses on the long haul down from his County Durham base to Folkestone today and he has fine prospects of saddling a double with Brancepeth Belle and First In The Field.

Brancepeth Belle was made favourite for a selling hurdle at Catterick on New Year's Eve but only got as far as the first hurdle. The mare had previously comfortably landed a claimer at Market Rasen on St Stephen's Day and is clearly in good form.

Brancepeth Belle is stepped up in grade for the Levy Board Mares' Only Novice Handicap Hurdle but she is improving and looks a good bet to recoup recent losses.

First In The Field can complete the brace in the concluding Robertsbridge Handicap Hurdle. The eight-year-old mare had only one outing last season when pulled up and has clearly had her problems but ran a race full of promise on her reappearance at Sedgefield despite being 12lb out of the handicap.

Held up in the early stages she made steady headway three out but weakened approaching the next flight when lack of a recent run told and she faded to finish fifth of 12, beaten 19 lengths behind Warrlin.

First In The Field is sure to strip a lot fitter today and is awarded the nap to get the better of her three rivals with likely favourite Distant Storm, who has to concede 20lb to the selection, the main danger.

Last term Emerald Statement created a favourable impression on his chasing debut at Fontwell when finishing runner-up to Joliver, beaten three-quarters of a length. But 13 months ago he was pulled up lame in a Grade Two event at Lingfield and was not seen out again.

Gardie Grissell's gelding reappears in the Westenhanger Novice Chase and provided all is well with him he should prove too good for the opposition.

Go with Nikita's Star to win the two-mile Cambridgeshire Handicap at Southwell. Mel Brittain's gelding made all to win over 12 furlongs at the track last month, holding on gamely by two lengths from Golden Lyric.

That was a particularly good effort as Nikita's Star has shown his best recent form over further. And he is taken to progress again over today's extra distance.

Earlier on the card Intiaash merits consideration in the Bedfordshire Fillies' Handicap. Without a victory since scoring on the equitrack at Lingfield in July 1997 the seven-year-old ran a blinder there on Saturday when third of 13 to Mukarrab, beaten eight and a half lengths.

Intiaash races off the same mark today and now she has shown signs of a return to form, will surely take all the beating.