HAVE HOPE IN LORD Hopeful Lord can reap the benefit of a promising run last time in the Tote Credit Club Chase at Stratford tomorrow. Jonjo O`Neill`s charge has had injury problems but looked more than capable of picking up a decent prize judged on his comeback run last month. Having his first outing since January 2000, the nine-year-old finished two and a half lengths second to Paperising in a three-mile contest at Uttoxeter. He may have been flattered to get so close to the in-form winner, who was eased down, but he finished 26 lengths clear of the third-placed horse Raffles Rooster. A winner at Towcester last season, he can come on for the run and looks the one for this Showcase Handicap. Montpelier can shrug off a long absence in the Marscom Horseboxes Novices` Chase. Nicky Henderson`s charge has not seen a racecourse since last October but his trainer has few equals in getting a horse ready for a race. Montpelier certainly showed plenty of promise on his two starts this term, winning novice handicaps at Hereford and Cheltenham. He can continue to progress and can complete a hat-trick. Soft-ground specialist Miners Dance can take advantage to regain the winning thread in the Fort Dodge Handicap Hurdle over an extended three miles and one furlong. Tom McGovern`s tough eight-year-old revels in testing conditions and mixes hurdling with chasing. He has won three times this term showing his best form over Monday`s course and distance on heavy going in November when he slammed Benick by 25 lengths under an enterprising ride from Tony McCoy. Miners Dance can be forgiven a poor effort last time over fences because, having shot up the weights, he had been given little chance by the handicapper. He races off a 17lb lower mark over hurdles and he has a great chance to make amends on Monday and land the nap.
