NORTH Yorkshire trainer John Quinn, who suffered the heartbreak earlier this week of losing his high-class mare Cockney Sparrow to colic, can play a starring role at Cheltenham and Doncaster today.

Quinn sends the unbeaten Mr Gallivanter to Prestbury Park to bid for the JCB Triumph Hurdle Trial - a sighter for the real thing come March - while at Doncaster, L'Aigle Royal and Kashmir Peak provide their Norton handler with further winning chances.

Mr Gallivanter, who proved a fair handicapper on the Flat, has won at Stratford and Kelso over hurdles. He faces a steep rise in class in Cheltenham's opening contest, but Quinn holds him in high regard and Dougie Costello's mount deserves plenty of respect.

L'Aigle Royal also had the option of contesting the Cheltenham race, but heads closer to home for the Grade 2 bet365 Summit Juvenile Hurdle on Town Moor.

A useful recruit from France, L'Aigle Royal won by a wide margin at Sedgefield on his first outing for Quinn, pictured, before finishing fifth at Cheltenham in hot company, beaten only seven lengths by the winner Golden Doyen. This sounder surface may well suit nap selection L'Aigle Royal better and he promises to make a bold bid.

Kashmir Peak lines-up for the bet365.com Handicap Hurdle. A smart juvenile, he returned to hurdling form with a good second to the in-form Exitas at Sandown last month. He may not need to improve much on that performance to go one better here over a course and distance where he has been successful in the past.

Remaining at Doncaster, Night In Milan should go well in the bet365.com Handicap Chase.

Trained by Keith Reveley, the eight-year-old has had two runs over hurdles this season. He will be much more at home switching back to fences this afternoon, especially on a course where he has won two chases.

Hi George beat no less a horse than Holywell when making his one and only appearance over fences at Sedgefield last season.

He was not seen out again until returning to action on the same course last month when he unseated his rider at the seventh fence after being sent off as favourite.

Hi George is fancied to make up for that blip in the bet365 Handicap Chase on behalf of Norton trainer Malcolm Jefferson, who is likely to be at Cheltenham to supervise Attaglance in the featured £100,000 Caspian Caviar Gold Cup Chase.

Jefferson has still to decide whether Attaglance will take his chance and any further overnight may persuade him to withdraw the gelding, who requires good ground to be at his best.

If the rain does not come and Attaglance receives the green light, he is entitled to run a solid race on a track that suits him, but preference is for Barrakilla, trained by Evan Williams.

The seven-year-old made an encouraging return to action when third at Sandown last month, one place ahead of No Buts, who has since won well at Newbury. Barakilla is set to meet No Buts on better terms today and, provided his comeback outing has brought him on, he has every chance of clinching the major prize.

The New One is a star attraction in the StanJames.com International Hurdle.

One of Britain and Ireland's leading hurdlers, he did everything asked of him to win at Kempton and Haydock on his first two starts this term. He faces a stiffer test this afternoon, but the Nigel Twiston-Davies-trained gelding will be very hard to beat.

Philip Hobbs continues in great form and the Minehead trainer has good prospects of completing a Cheltenham double with two horses who were successful on this course last month.

Champagne West bids to make it two-from-two over fences in the Ryman Stationery Novices' Chase while Bold Henry aims to shrug off a 10lb weight rise in the Jenny Mould Handicap Chase.

Selections

Cheltenham today
12.15 Mr Gallivanter, 12.50 Champagne West, 1.25 Bold Henry, 2.00 Barrakilla, 2.35 Parish Business, 3.10 The New One, 3.45 Brother Brian.

Doncaster today
11.55 Hi George, 12.30 Zeroeshadesofgrey, 1.05 Kashmir Peak, 1.40 Night In Milan, 2.15 L’Aigle Royal (NAP), 2.50 Virak, 3.25 Serenity Now.

Today’s other meetings: Lingfield, Southwell and
Wolverhampton.

Tomorrow’s meetings: Carlisle and Southwell.