Miko De Beauchene experienced a season to remember, the highlight being success in the Coral Welsh National at Chepstow.

The eight-year-old, trained by Robert and Sally Alner, enjoyed a meteoric rise back then, also taking the Red Square Vodka Gold Cup later finishing second in the ultra-competitive Pertemps final over hurdles at Cheltenham. Now the plan is to start him off again at Haydock this weekend.

Andrew Thornton, his usual rider, had to miss a couple of those starts through injury but he is looking forward to renewing the partnership, be it in the Betfair "Fixed Brush" Handicap Hurdle on Saturday or at Newbury in the Pertemps Handicap Hurdle seven days later.

"I'm not sure if he'll run at Haydock yet as we're just keeping our eye on the ground," said Thornton. "He likes a bit of cut and the fact the Brush Hurdle race is on the chase track is a bonus. If he didn't go to Haydock, he could go to Newbury for the race he finished second in last year. After that, the plan is the Welsh National again.

"He's in good form and has had a good summer break - he seems a bigger, stronger horse but he will need to have improved as he has gone up the ratings."

Thornton believes Miko De Beauchene's Ayr disappointment in the Scottish Grand National, in which he was pulled up, is best forgotten and he expects the animal to shine once more with conditions in his favour.

"The ground had totally gone for him at Ayr and I think it just caught a few people out just how quick it was," he said. "He came back from that okay, so it's fingers crossed. "I was disappointed to miss out at Cheltenham and Ayr but I had a couple of big-race wins on him last year and, although it will be difficult this year, hopefully there's more to come."

Miko De Beauchene is already as low as 20-1 for the John Smith's Grand National at Aintree in April.

The other big fixture on Saturday afternoon goes on at Ascot, where Franchoek is on course to clash with Crack Away Jack in the Coral Ascot Hurdle. The four-year-old, trained by Alan King, takes on the Champion Hurdle hopeful as well as older horses in the Grade Two over almost two-and-a-half miles.

"Crack Away Jack is a very good horse but you have to start somewhere and it's a nice race for him," said Frank Berry, racing manager to Irish owner JP McManus. "Alan is very happy with him. He was thinking about going to Cheltenham last week for the Greatwood but he would have had a lot of weight there. He's in good form and let's hope he runs well."

Franchoek, runner-up to Celestial Halo in the Triumph Hurdle at Cheltenham last spring, has been talked about as a possible for the Ladbrokes World Hurdle at this season's Festival and the distance of Saturday's race should suit. "The trip should not be a problem. He's done well and it's fingers crossed," Berry added.

Looking ahead to the busy Christmas period, Alan Fleming is hoping for decent ground at Kempton to give his promising juvenile hurdler, Starluck, more experience. The three-year-old gelding staked his claim for the Triumph Hurdle when maintaining his 100% record over jumps at Fakenham on Tuesday.

"We were very happy with the performance, he's improving a lot and he's going the right way," said the trainer. "We jumped an awful lot better than the first time. Where he goes next depends on the ground. If conditions were right at over Christmas he'd probably head for there for the two-mile juvenile hurdle."

The prospect of the first frost of winter on the eve of Saturday's meeting is not concerning Haydock officials. "The forecast is typical November weather, raw, the odd shower and as the weekend approaches we may get a frost," said clerk of the course Kirkland Tellwright. "I think we'll be fine. We're forecast -2 and I can't believe it will be a problem to us but we are certainly monitoring the situation."

Finally, Jean-Pierre Guillambert has struck up a good partnership with Mark Johnson, the Scot who now trains in Yorkshire, and the pair were in the winner's enclosure at Lingfield yesterday when the rider gave My Gacho a fine ride to take the opening division of the seven-furlong handicap.