JABBAAR should be up to the challenge in the Betway Live Casino Handicap at Southwell.

The five-year-old chestnut went close over this course and distance earlier in the month on what was his first spin on the Fibresand circuit in Nottinghamshire.

Trainer Iain Jardine will therefore be pretty miffed if Jabbaar does not at least replicate that display off the same handicap mark of 75.

Jabbaar has had quite a nomadic existence for a horse his age, yet Jardine looks to have got a nice enough tune out of him in seven starts for the Carrutherstown handler.

The gelded son of Medicean won well over a mile and a half at Catterick in the autumn and was only three-quarters of a length from further top honours at Southwell on January 9.

Jabbaar finished third but the manner in which he finished off his race suggests he is coming to hand nicely for this assignment. It is also reassuring to see Phillip Makin back in the saddle on today's nap selection.

PEARL ACCLAIM probably holds the key to the Betway Handicap.

David Griffiths' inmate is now eight years old but he is still pretty sharp on his day – as evidenced by a tight defeat of stablemate Brother Tiger in a similar sort of sprint at this track a week and a half ago.

Pearl Acclaim was seemingly on top of proceedings that day so, despite his advancing years, it is not beyond the realms of probability to suggest he might still be progressing.

The son of Acclamation loves it at Southwell – he has won three times at the track in two months – so it would be foolish to dismiss his claims of a double.

HAKAM is likely to cut loose in a six-furlong handicap beneath the lights at Chelmsford.

Mick Appleby's six-year-old succumbed by a nose to Memories Galore in a five-furlong handicap at Newcastle last time and would probably have done the business if the race was a few yards farther.

To that end, the two-time course winner should be pretty happy with his lot as he steps back up in distance.

NATIVE OPTIMIST looks like the best bet on the card at Kelso, where he goes in the Isle Of Skye Blended Scotch Whisky Handicap Hurdle.

The 11-year-old was a wide-margin winner at Hexham back in October but a subsequent flop at Ayr the following month somewhat tempered his supporters' enthusiasm at Carlisle last month.

Sent off a 33-1 chance, he ran a cracker to be beaten just three lengths in a class two heat, just getting caught for a change of pace when push came to shove at the finish.

A 3lb rise for that run is clearly not ideal but he sneaks in here at the bottom of the handicap and his relative light weight should be a help in testing conditions.

NIGHT OF GLORY can confirm himself a useful prospect with victory in the opening Trial Racing UK For Free Now Juvenile Hurdle at Warwick.

Andrew Balding's charge was beaten a fair distance in third on his jumping bow at Sandown but he made a few jumping errors that day and should be wiser for the experience.

The winner, Sussex Ranger, has since gone on to be placed at Grade One level, while Night Of Glory proved his well-being with a win on the Flat at the start of the month.