Baron Alco can step up on a promising first run of the season in the SiS Novices' Chase at Plumpton.

Gary Moore's charge performed very admirably in some of the top handicap hurdles last season after he won three on the bounce at a lower level.

He finished second to Rock The Kasbah at Ascot when agonisingly caught on the line in a valuable prize in January and then he was only beaten six lengths in the Coral Cup off a mark 6lb higher.

Over hurdles he liked to dominate but on his chasing debut at Cheltenham he looked quite happy sat just off the pace and he jumped nimbly.

Up against rivals with plenty of experience under their belts, Marracudja and Presenting Arms, he finished third after getting in tight to the last, beaten less than two lengths.

Moore will have been over the moon with that effort and he should be hard to beat.

Neil Mulholland is very good at improving horses seemingly exposed at a lowly level and getting them to rattle up a sequence.

His latest is Earls Fort, who goes for a hat-trick in the Plumpton Racecourse Twinned With Pompadour Racecourse Amateur Riders' Handicap Hurdle.

He defied a penalty at Sedgefield last time out and is worth following until beaten.

At Musselburgh's hastily arranged fixture the best bet may be Micky Hammond's Tickenwolf in the Watch Racing UK With Free Trial Now Handicap Chase.

A really consistent sort in the right grade, he ran a perfectly respectable race behind Jimmy The Jetplane at Sedgefield last time out.

The winner was second in a decent event at Towcester last week so at this level Tickenwolf may be capable of carrying top weight to victory.

As is usual for this time of year Godolphin are making hay on the all-weather.

To be fair, both Charlie Appleby and Saeed bin Suroor have enjoyed a great time of it over in Australia at a slightly higher level as well but the winners have kept on flowing in their absence.

While Appleby had an acceptable season winning the Eclipse and the Prix Marcel Boussac, it was slimmer picking for Bin Suroor who was hit hard by the virus.

He has unleashed some very nice juveniles in recent weeks and Dubai Elegance can add to his growing reputation in the 32Red Casino Nursery Handicap at Newcastle.

Bin Suroor has not been shy of sending his horses to the new Tapeta track but it was at Chelmsford where this daughter of Sepoy opened her account at the second time of asking after a pleasing debut at Doncaster in June.

When she made her bow Bin Suroor's string where in the depths of the dreaded virus which ended up with him shutting up shop for a while.

He emerged through the other side and October was his best month with 15 winner but he is on course to beat that in November and he is also operating at a 40-% strike-rate.

She is related to Sakhee's Secret, looked in a different parish to a couple of rivals rated in the 70's at Chelmsford and a mark of 81 may seriously underestimate her ability.

Volition has been a slow burner for Sir Michael Stoute but because of that the handicapper has not been too harsh ahead of the first division of the Sunbets.co.uk.

The Dark Angel filly did not win until her sixth outing at Thirsk but she was then held back in a handicap off 77 at Wolverhampton.

Off the same mark at Kempton but over a furlong less she won by a cosy neck.

Up only 2lb, there is surely more to come given how Stoute trains.

James Fanshawe's Noble Star was fourth to Castle Harbour on debut in April but has not been seen since and reappears in the Sun Bets On The App Store Maiden Stakes.

He has obviously had his issues to be off for over 200 days but this looks a weak event.

SELECTIONS

MUSSELBURGH: 12.50 Rioja Day, 1.20 Halcyon Days, 1.50 Bassarabad, 2.20 Tickenwolf, 2.50 Royal Pearl, 3.20 Quick Decisson, 3.50 Stoneham.

NEWCASTLE: 2.00 Booshbash, 2.30 Alsacienne, 3.00 DUBAI ELEGANCE (NAP), 3.30 Volition, 4.00 Brilliant Vanguard, 4.30 Wahaab, 5.00 Noble Star, 5.30 Indian Pursuit.

PLUMPTON: 1.05 Boudry, 1.35 Baron Alco, 2.10 Sudden Wish, 2.40 Earls Fort, 3.10 Minella On Line, 3.40 Black Mischief.

Double: Dubai Elegance and Baron Alco.

ends