Stormyfairweather can return from a 10-week absence to take the Eastleigh Handicap Hurdle at Newbury today. Nicky Henderson's five-year-old has not raced since disappointing in the valuable William Hill Handicap Hurdle at Sandown at the beginning of December.

Prior to that, however, he had looked a promising hurdler, having gone to Sandown on the verge of a five-timer.

Stormyfairweather began the sequence last spring, winning a novice event at Towcester and a novice handicap at Cheltenham in April and following up at the former track in May.

Nicky Henderson then gave him a rest, but he returned in good heart over two miles here at the end of November.

Lining up for a handicap hurdle off a mark of 119, he gained a comfortable victory over Riparius, leading two out for Mick Fitzgerald and asserting when shaken up on the run-in, having an easy three lengths to spare over the runner-up.

The bookmakers accordingly threw him to the fore of the betting for the Sandown race eight days later, but the Strong Gale bay, sent off 7 to 1 second favourite for the £35,000 race, could do no better than 16th of the 19 finishers, making headway around the halfway point but weakening in from the home turn.

It is possible he was returning to the racecourse too quickly, as he was certainly entitle to run a better race than that on form.

But Stormyfairweather has now had a break, and looks well handicapped off a rating of 126.

Although his reappearance win was over the minimum trip Stormyfairweather was won twice over today's trip of two miles and five and he is confidently expected to consign his Sandown disappointment to the past.

David Nicholson can notch a double in the first two races courtesy of Zafarabad and Hurricane Lamp.

Zafarabad, currently clear favourite for the Elite Racing Triumph Hurdle, should a hat-trick in the opening Stroud Green Novices' Hurdle.

The Shernazar grey, a useful performer on the Flat for John Oxx, made an impressive start to his hurdling career with a victory in a juvenile event at Kempton.

He then followed up in the Grade Two Wragge and Co Finesse Hurdle at Cheltenham at the end of last month, leading on the bit approaching the final flight and quickening away to beat Guilder by 15 lengths.

There is plenty of improvement to come from Zafarabad, who should take this en route to Cheltenham.

Nicholson's Hurricane Lamp can defy a penalty in the Aldermaston Novices' Chase.

After winning at a novice chase at Ludlow by five lengths from Storm Damage last month, Hurricane Lamp ran a fine race when six lengths second to Wade Road in the Grade Two PML Lightning Novices' Chase.

A reproduction of that effort should see him home.