Clause looks capable of a debut win; journallive.co.uk Racing Saturday, November 82 MOSCROP ON SATURDAY.

THE only time Pause And Clause has failed to make the frame in seven starts was at Aintree on his final appearance last season when he performed below-par in a Grade One novices' hurdle.

While he didn't enjoy the run of the race and was badly hampered by a faller, I doubt if he would have troubled the judge and he was also probably feeling the effects of a hard race at Cheltenham 23 days earlier.

That was in the Coral Cup and his first venture in handicap company. He ran a blinder to finish third to Ninetieth Minute, losing out on second place on the run-in by the late flourish of Mirage Dore.

Pause And Clause will soon embark on a chasing career for trainer Emma Lavelle, but she could not resist the temptation of stepping him up in trip over the fixed brush hurdles in the Timeform Betfair Racing Club Handicap Hurdle at Haydock today on his seasonal debut.

It's a big prize and these obstacles are bigger than the traditional hurdle and should suit chasing types who have a good record in this contest. Lavelle (pictured right) says that her five-year-old would well mix it over hurdles and fences this winter and the gelding's willing attitude will stand him in good stead.

Auroras Encore is another versatile performer, equally effective over hurdles as he is over fences. He's had two quick runs, the latest at Market Rasen last Sunday over hurdles, and this might come a bit too soon for him. But Sue Smith knows the time of day and wouldn't be risking him here if she wasn't happy with his recovery. I can see him being in the shake-up and, whatever happens, his trainer is looking forward to a profitable season with him back over fences.

Malcolm Jefferson landed this valuable prize last year with According To Pete who had already won two novice chases before making most of the running and having the race in his bag some way out. Now the Malton trainer relies on McMurrough who has a career over fences to look forward to.

Twice beaten when odds-on in novice hurdles this term, he finally opened his account over timber at Kelso but had to work hard to achieve it and has a bit more to prove than his stable companion 12 months ago.

Najad Du Misselot, a Coral Cup winner two years ago for Ferdy Murphy, has been tried unsuccessfully over fences and his trainer has decided to revert to the smaller obstacles and he ran well enough at Cheltenham five weeks ago. He is not to be discarded lightly.

The one I am afraid of is Burton Port. He was a point winner in Ireland before joining Nicky Henderson and won his bumper, a novice hurdle, and finished second to a well-handicapped and unexposed rival in the final of a fixed brush event over the course in April.

Kauto Star attempts to win the Betfair Chase for the third time, regardless of how testing conditions might be, and he is not odds-on to achieve it.

He came unstuck in his hat-trick bid last year when unseating Sam Thomas at the last fence when challenging for the lead.

He would probably have beaten Snoopy Loopy but for that mishap but he still would have had a fight on his hands. Connections felt he wasn't at his best that day.

This time he comes here fresh and well and I wouldn't care to oppose him even though he would prefer better ground.

The reason why the layers are not asking punters to buy money on Kauto Star is because of the presence of Notre Pere. The Irish raider will relish the mud and his trainer Jim Dreaper is keen to get Notre Pere back in action following a surprise fall at Down Royal.

Normally a safe jumper, he looks the main rival to Kauto Star, ahead of David Pipe's Hennessy Gold Cup hero Madison Du Berlais who will appreciate his return to a flat track.

CAPTION(S):

WILLING AND ABLE Pause and Clause.