MUSHARRIF looks one of the more engaging names in action on the Wolverhampton Tapeta today.

Declan Carroll is a good trainer, and can be trusted to reignite the fire which flickers within this four-year-old, who was formerly in the care of Sir Michael Stoute.

The gelded son of Arcano actually won a race at Catterick for Stoute last summer, but he then struggled badly at Newbury and has since been transferred to East Yorkshire.

Despite having been sent off at huge odds on his debut for Carroll, over this course and distance, Musharrif turned in quite a promising performance.

He could only finish fifth, but it was nice to see him stay on late in the day to go down by just two lengths in a much better race.

Carroll and Musharrif will be much wiser for that experience ahead of the Daily Price Boosts At Unibet Handicap, while it is reassuring to see Joe Fanning at the helm.

A first-time visor might eke out just enough for PYROCLASTIC to set the world alight in division one of the Ladbrokes Handicap at Lingfield.

Jim Boyle's four-year-old has only won once in 14 tries but he cannot be too far away if his short-neck third at this track in December is taken into account.

Pyroclastic was then sent back to Lingfield over this one-mile trip and was perhaps always chasing the game from a wide draw.

That said, he still did fairly well to finish third and is definitely worth another try over this sort of distance.

Assuming the head-gear has a galvanizing effect, the gelded son of Tagula has decent claims off a mark which is 4lb lower than his sole victory last April.

SCEAU ROYAL can bolster his JCB Triumph Hurdle claims at the Cheltenham Festival by winning the 32Red Chatteris Fen Juvenile Hurdle at Huntingdon.

Alan King's four-year-old is going places in a hurry and looked particularly good at Cheltenham last month when he clinically snuffed out the danger of Adrien Du Pont, who is now a Grade One winner.

Proven in soft ground, not to mention the fact he is a nine-length course-and-distance winner, Sceau Royal looks head and shoulders above these rivals.

THREE FACES WEST ought to be kept close in the Alconbury Chase.

Philip Hobbs' eight-year-old won three on the spin last season and was hardly a back-number on his return at Haydock in December, when third in a heavy-ground class two handicap.

Three Faces West is sure to be fitter with that run in the bag - his first start for 276 days - and is capable of winning off a mark of 130 in what looks a slightly weaker event than on Merseyside.

SAILORS WARN has not done a great deal since his switch from Ireland, but he looked re-energised at Sedgefield last time and can make a successful return to the County Durham venue in the Happy New Year From Paxtons Handicap Hurdle.

TODAY'S SELECTIONS:

DUNDALK: 6.00 Shinyhappyjohn, 6.30 Majestic Paddy, 7.00 Chewy Round Town, 7.30 Settle For Red, 8.00 Stamp Of Authority, 8.30 Taglietelle, 9.00 Udogo.

HUNTINGDON: 1.20 Kleitomachos, 1.50 The Unit, 2.20 Bus Named Desire, 2.50 Sceau Royal, 3.20 Three Faces West, 3.50 Briery Belle.

LINGFIELD: 1.00 Pyroclastic, 1.30 Al's Memory, 2.00 Majestic Myles, 2.30 Gorokai, 3.00 Castilo Del Diablo, 3.30 Megara, 4.00 Excellent Aim.

SEDGEFIELD: 1.10 Always Resolute, 1.40 Hassadin, 2.10 Dye of A Needle, 2.40 Sailors Warn, 3.10 Tomngerry, 3.40 McGregor's Cottage.

WOLVERHAMPTON: 4.15 John Coffey, 4.45 MUSHARRIF (NAP), 5.15 Favorite Girl, 5.45 Tower Power, 6.15 Believe It, 6.45 Dwight D.

DOUBLE: Musharrif and Three Faces West.