ROY BOWRING can successfully launch his 1996 campaign by taking the Oak Handicap at Wolverhampton today with Sailormaite. The Mansfield trainer had a successful time last year with 25 winners - beating his best total by no less than 10.

Sailormaite is a useful handicapper who contributed to that tally with victories at Haydock and at Wolverhampton in the summer. And he shaped as though primed to strike winning form again when runner up at Southwell last month.

Having just his second outing since September, the five year old moved up menacingly to challenge turning for home only to be run out of it by the in form Be Warned as lack of fitness told close home.

Sailormaite will be all the better for the outing and can go one better now.

Noyan is one to look out for in the preceding Beech Handicap. The form he showed in winning twice at Hamilton last May suggests the six year old is very well treated on 7st 13lb.

And he is in the form to take full advantage judged on two recent runs over hurdles, both times staying on steadily under considerate handling over too short a trip.

On each occasion Noyan left the impression he retains all his ability and he can make light of bottom weight today.

An Exeter treble on Monday showed that Martin Pipe's runners have been among the quickest to find their form after the frost enforced break to the jumping programme. The former champion trainer can follow up with a double at Lingfield with Terao and Valiant Toski.

Poor jumping has continually affected Terao's progress as a chaser so that he has never fulfilled the high promise he showed over hurdles. But he went well until a mistake four fences from home on his reappearance at Exeter and is worth another chance in an uncompetitive race for the Rock Saint Challenge Trophy.

Recent Folkestone third Valiant Toski looks the safest choice in the Godstone Selling Hurdle.