BLUNDERING Blackergreen (2.40) needs to get his jumping together at Haydock if he's to make a serious impact on the outcome of the Howden Novices' Handicap Chase.

Sue Smith's eight-year-old paid a visit to Market Rasen on Boxing Day, however there was no belated Christmas present for anyone having the misfortune to support Blackergreen, who was made a relatively warm 2-1 market leader.

All appeared hunky-dory for favourite backers as young Chad Collier cruised up to join the leaders at the fourth fence from home, but you can never count your chickens in this game and a few seconds later the horse was riderless and the jockey on the deck.

No blame can be attached to Collier and it's comforting that connections have kept faith with him on Blackergreen, who is very well-treated off a mark of 98 over fences, compared with his heady hurdles rating of 120.

Another individual bidding to stay on his feet is Hoh Viss (2.40), a spent force when crashing out at Wetherby in a red-hot contest won by subsequent Red Square Gold Cup heroine, Heltornic.

Hoh Viss had previously smashed up Flintoff at Fontwell, a performance which was made to look all-the-better when the latter won his next couple of races with any amount in hand.

The Romania Handicap Chase doesn't look to have anything like the strength-in-depth of the Wetherby contest, therefore those folk to have lost their dough in North Yorkshire might easily now recoup losses at the West Midlands venue.

I'm very sweet on the chances of Shady Anne (5.05), a leading protagonist for Huntingdon's finale, the two-and-a-half-mile Handicap Hurdle.

Just like Blackergreen and Hoh Viss, Shady Anne was yet another casualty on her most recent run, jettisoning Sam Jones into orbit with a clumsy mid-race leap at Ludlow. Trainer Frank Jordan has given his mare plenty of time to recover from that mishap, which, combined with the handicapper dropping her to a more feasible level, bodes well for a potentially lucrative each-way investment.

Noel Wilson's decision to try Dodaa (3.55) over the minimum trip at Southwell smacks of good old-fashioned common sense.

The filly only has two speeds, flat out or stopped dead. Twice lately at the track she's blazed off in front in six-furlong sprints, only to be mugged with 100 yards to go.

Today the self-same tactics are almost certain to be adopted, though hopefully the shorter distance will allow Dodaa to maintain her lead all the way to the finishing line.