GORDON RICHARDS can prove his yard has hit form at exactly the right time today. The Greystoke trainer's string are in fine fettle, as Addington Boy showed when defying top weight on the Tripleprint Gold Cup ate Cheltenham last Saturday.

And just five days before one Man bids for a second successive win in the Pertemps King George VI Chase at Kempton, Unguided Missile can underline the point with victory in the Betterware Cup at Ascot.

Unguided Missile is one of the few horses not to suffer in comparison with his more famous stable companion.

The eight year old improved throughout last season when he gained his biggest success in this race, beating subsequent Cheltenham Gold Cup runner up and Grand National winner Rough Quest by a neck.

He could be in the reckoning for the Gold Cup himself this term, judged on a fine reappearance win in the Edward Hanmer Memorial Chase at Haydock last month which suggested he is still very much on the upgrade.

He would have beaten King George contender Couldn't Be Better by a good deal more than the eventual four lengths but for being eased considerably on the run in and is clearly now on the fringe of championship class.

Unguided Missile is built to carry big weights and he can defy 11st 11lb here in what may be his final appearance in handicap company.

Simply Dashing and Ask Tom should also land big prizes for the north today.

Tim Easterby's father, Peter, had a fine record at Ascot and he can maintain the family tradition by lifting the Book of Music Novices' Chase with Simply Dashing.

His runner has looked well up to tackling Grade Two company in winning his three completed starts over fences by an aggregate of more than 60 lengths.

Simply Dashing's smart hurdling form suggests there may be even better to come from him as a chaser too.

Ask Tom could not have been more impressive the last time Tom Tate sent him down south from Tadcaster, scoring by no less than 27 lengths at Newbury last month. A follow up in today's Frogmore Handicap Chase looks very much on the cards.

The day's longest race is the four mile St Helens Handicap Chase at Haydock in which Christmas Gorse, half brother to Grand National winner Party Politics, looks the best bet to come out on top.

. John White was fined £1,000 by the Jockey Club disciplinary committee for "failing to exercise reasonable care" of one of his horses, it was announced yesterday.