Puff, Pant

JIMMY BYRNE's stamina has looked suspect on one or two occasions at even the minimum jumps trip this autumn, hence a return to the Flat at Wolverhampton on Monday afternoon. He went off the outsider of the 13-strong field in the 9f Class 5 handicap and sadly ran exactly according to that analysis, finishing last of all. Up with the leaders until 3f, he once again emptied very quickly indeed and is proving hard to win with.

Lung-busting activity came in a very different form this afternoon, with four Richard Guest animals having taken the short trip to hilly old Hexham. No winners, but READY TO RUMBLE ran his second fair race inside of a week in coming third in the novices' handicap chase. As per his Carlisle run he responded positively to being at or near the head of affairs throughout, and although the leaders tried to give him the slip up the hill entering the straight, he was able to stay on again close home. This was only a Class F, and, if no superstar over jumps, he should be able to pick up one of these on this evidence.

Prior to that, ASSUMETHEPOSITION lasted only four fences in the opening conditional jockeys' handicap chase before giving J P Flavin no chance of staying on. This was Flavin's second ride in the country, following that on BEAVER at Haydock a short while ago, and his first as a conditional. Moreover, he claimed 10lb in the race which, given that "Bruce" Moorman did the same on TIGER TALK later on the same card, indicates that Ciaran Eddery's latest tenure as one of the Richard Guest's two conditionals has come to a very abrupt end.

For the record, Tiger Talk was brought to the tails of the leaders turning for home in the 2m 4.5f selling handicap hurdle by Moorman, but could only find one pace from that point and came in 7l adrift in sixth. He continues to be a good schoolmaster for inexperienced jockeys, which is probably why Guest kept him when Paul Beck decided to relinquish ownership of him following his Fakenham run; however, he is still 3lb higher than when scoring last, and further assistance is probably still required before resuming winning ways.

UPSWING finally got to make his debut for the Guest yard in the concluding handicap hurdle over the minimum trip, and with Kenny Johnson reinstated in the plate as always intended. Not surprisingly after 11 months off, he blew up turning for home and was not given too hard a time back in sixth. At the July Open Day Guest insisted Upswing could be the best improver in handicaps the whole of this season - off a meagre current rating of 79, there is certainly plenty of scope to race up the handicap if proving adept enough, and his next run will tell us much about how well-founded a boast this could be.