TONY McCOY returns to action today at Folkestone with two rides for Martin Pipe. The champion jockey on the sidelines for four weeks with a fractured left shoulder and broken collarbone had been pencilled in to ride Piper's Rock for Toby Balding in the Lympne Novices' Claiming Hurdle.

But his agent Dave Roberts yesterday said: "Tony rides Rare Spread in the claimer and Theme Arena in the first race."

Theme Arena, who makes her handicap debut in the David Benge Novices' Handicap Hurdle and Rare Spread who is dropped in class, both look to have good chances of giving McCoy a winning return.

He is still well clear at the head of the National Hunt jockeys' table with 130 winners, 53 ahead of closest pursuer Jamie Osborne.

Local trainer Gardie Grissell has a fine record with his runners at Folkestone and Buckland Lad is the pick to keep up the good work.

Returning after a nine-month lay off at Plumpton last time and making his chasing debut, Buckland Lad acquitted himself well, staying on strongly from a hopeless position without threatening the winner, finishing third, beaten 13 lengths, behind Coolteen Hero.

Bound to have come on for the experience, Buckland Lad a course winner over hurdles can get his chasing career underway in the Gay Record Challenge Trophy.

Script is set to follow up a recent Lingfield win on the soft in the Stanford Selling Handicap Hurdle. Given a good ride by Jamie Osborne, who kept John Jenkins' charge wide on the best ground, the six-year-old came from well off the pace to win by two lengths from Slightly Special.

Broadstairs Beauty, a tough and genuine sprinter, can show too much pace for his rivals in the Jay Handicap over five furlongs at Wolverhampton.

Only lightly raced of late, the seven-year-old ran well on his latest start when beaten a length by Prima Silk over six furlongs on Southwell's fibres and. Well clear entering the straight, Derek Shaw's gelding kept on well when headed.

David Barron's Bailieborough Boy looks a sound bet to land the Pheasant Selling Stakes. The very easy winner of a similar contest at Southwell earlier this month when beating Warp Drive by five lengths, Bailieborough Boy should have no difficulty following up.

Solar Dawn is a rare runner on the all-weather for Maktoum Al Maktoum and this typically well-bred filly can make a winning debut in the Grouse Median Auction Maiden Stakes for Mark Johnston's in-form Middleham yard.