Barney McGrew to come up trumps.

Byline: MEL COLLIER

THE debate about horses showing their best form on a certain surface will be liveliest this weekend when turf, dirt and synthetic form lines clash at the Breeders' Cup.

At home, punters are faced with similar questions each autumn and spring when turf and Polytrack form collides at the all-weather tracks. In the classiest handicap at Kempton this evening (8.20), I'm rowing in with a horse who has a solid set of all-weather form figures - 132251 - but remains off a fair handicap mark because of a patchy season on turf.

Barney McGrew has not got the better of Cuthbert, Dibble or Grubb that often this summer, but that's because he needs a fairly narrow set of circumstances to show his best.

Michael Dods's runner, named after a character in the 1970s children's TV show Trumpton, did run better 25 days ago when he 'won' his race on the far side of the track at Haydock, which I'm taking as evidence that he still retains all his ability.

If you look back at his only sand form last autumn, he beat Lingfield specialist Capricorn Run, who was winning handicaps off an 11lb higher mark a few weeks later. He looks fairly handicapped on that form here.

I'm aware of all the negatives about his chance - modest end-of-season trainer form, often runs free, so not certain to appreciate the step back up to 7f, and a temperament that means he has to be held up and finish late - but I think the switch back to sand, likely good pace generated by a decentsized field, and a hopefully generous price will more than compensate.

He's won twice over 7f, so I can't agree with those who say he is just a sprinter.

There are another couple of sleepers in the field who could also bounce back to form on Polytrack, namely Hinton Admiral (17lb lower than his last winning run on sand) and Bazroy (won a couple at Kempton in February), and I'd rather back any of that trio than the likely market leader Otaared.

Michael Jarvis's Storm Cat colt (a full-brother to Group winner Laa Rayb, as well as a regular dirt winner in Dubai) has the pedigree that suggests the switch to synthetic will be fine, but training problems have restricted him to just three runs (August 2007, April 2008 and October 2008) over the last year and a bit, so there is no evidence he can back up a recent maiden win.

I'd much rather back unexposed types like him after a trouble-free preparation in the spring rather than at the tail end of the Flat season.

At Great Leighs there are a few decent handicap puzzles for punters to solve, but my eye was drawn to the competitive conditions race at 3.40.

Initially, I was pro Diriculous because of his ultra-consistent 6f handicap sand figures of 112119113, but most of those have been in less valuable races than the majority of today's field have been running in.

The form horse, Oldjoesaid, might be better at a bare 5f, so the final call went to Ebraam, who should have conditions to suit.

He has solid last-time-out form, is proven on Polytrack, is consistent, and I can't see any reason why he should not be thereabouts.

If a 130-day break has sorted Prohibit's head out, then he could be the biggest danger. He was very well backed for the Coral Sprint in the spring and looks to have a lot of natural ability.

Today's bets

Barney McGrew

1pt win

8.20 Kempton

Ebraam

1pt win

3.40 Great Leighs