THE Eider Chase took centre stage at Newcastle last Saturday and Ayr-based Ulsterman Ian Duncan landed the prize with Milborough, who was well handled by Graham Watters.

The Scottish National is now the plan for the winner, a race Duncan sent out his Cheltenham Festival winner Another Rum to finish third to Joes Edge in the Ayr marathon ten years ago when he still trained in Ireland.

Now he believes he has found the right horse to have another crack at the biggest race of the season at his local track.

Duncan said: "The owner bought him privately out of Tim Vaughan's stable and sent him to me in July and I thought back then he might be the type for this race, so we've earmarked this from an early stage.

"He ran very well on his second run at Carlisle, then fell at the first at Catterick. We've schooled him since and he's been jumping well.

"I saw him run well in the four-miler at Cheltenham last year (eighth). I think he's improved a bit. He has a bit of class and there might be more in him.

"I train outside Ayr so I think we'll go for the Scottish National next.

"This will be my most valuable win. I did win the four-miler at Cheltenham a few years ago and I've been over here from Ireland for four years now."

Watters, 23, who has been with Kinross trainer Lucinda Russell for two and a half years, said: "When you're a 5lb claimer you need someone to stick by you and give you rides.

"Coming to the second last he was idling. I won on him at Carlisle and made the most of him there as well.

"I just need one more winner to lose my 5lb claim. I hope I can keep the ball rolling."

With the flat season creeping up on us Middleham trainer Karl Burke warmed up nicely with a winner at Lingfield last Saturday, as Rivellino under Danny Tudhope who landed a valuable Listed race.

The five-year-old, who started at 5/1, belied an absence of 217 days to collar long-time leader Glen Moss in the closing stages and guarantee a spot in the £150,000 Unibet All-Weather Sprint Championships. Rivellino was a close third in the Good Friday race last year.

Tudhope commented: "Rivellino is very lightly-raced and has had his problems but he likes it here. Karl has done a great job to get him back and he had to win today.

"There's definitely more to come from him and Karl said that he would improve for it.

"The race wasn't really run to suit – they went very steady and he would better off a strong pace – but he has a nice turn of foot and I was in the right position. "

"They went very slow and I was a bit worried about the pace they went but I am glad that he has won."

Back to the jumping game, and Just Cameron got the knew week if to a flyer for Micky Hammond when making a winning start to his career over fences in the novices' chase at Ayr on Monday, beating the odds on favourite, and very smart, Duke Of Navan.

The winner received a real mans ride from the yards talented conditional Joe Colliver, who was delighted afterwards, saying: "I winged the last and landed running, and then we were away. It´s a big track with stiff fences, so Just Cameron did it well for his first time, and he´s only going to improve off that."

With the Cheltenham Festival eleven days away, Malton trainer was dealt a blow as Aurore D'Estruval has been ruled out of the OLBG Mares' Hurdle after suffering a setback.

The five-year-old had emerged as Britain's chief hope for the Grade One event having won two of her three starts this season and also filled the runner-up spot in the Fighting Fifth at Newcastle.

However, Quinn has revealed his mare will not make the trip to Prestbury Park for what would have been an intriguing clash with Willie Mullins' red-hot favourite Annie Power.

Speaking from Qatar, Quinn said: "She had a bit of a setback and she's missed five days. This is day six and she's nearly right, but she won't be going to Cheltenham, unfortunately.

"It's nothing serious. It's just come at the wrong time."

The Settrington-based trainer is hopeful Aurore D'Estruval will return to action at either Aintree or Punchestown in the spring.