RICHARD Barber has a strong team at Seaborough near Beam-inster, including prolific winners Barneys Mate, Le Duc and Thisthat- andtother, ahead of the new point-to-point campaign.

Bold Chief, Cappoquin and My Minds Maid can build on last season’s promise, while Buck’s Bond impressed when winning his single outing at Bratton Down and is one to follow.

Ray Geddes’ Doncaster purchase According To John, third to Denman in the 2007 Royal & SunAlliance Chase, is interesting.

The stable has its customary intake of younger horses and Mendip Express and Vrai Vert may be two to note.

Ryan Mahon will get riding opportunities, along with Jack Barber and Will Biddick, while Alice Mills will partner the ladies’ open horses.

Caroline Fry’s Mister Twirley, a winning Irish pointer bought at Ascot in July, will be partnered by Caroline’s son, George.

Lucia Borradaile has a very interesting recruit at home at Stoke Abbot near Beaminster.

Turko, winner of seven races under Rules and third in the 2008 Cheltenham Festival’s Ryanair Chase, will start off in point-to-points and may then be aimed at hunter chases.

Nicky Atkinson has retained four horses from last season at Cattistock.

Coral Cay is a hunter chase possible, while hunt racing fans will look forward to the reappearance of Russian Rain. M’Lady Spider and Spring Lord complete the team.

Charlie Fox will again race Turthen, the 2009 Christie’s Foxhunter runner-up, from his Askerswell yard.

Turthen will start in point-to-points before hunter chasing, although a return to Cheltenham is unlikely.

Neighbour Graham Foot will campaign three horses. Askers Jack has retired, but Foot has retained Ryders Storm and Johnny’s Way, who completed a hat-trick from Richard Woollacott’s yard.

Askers Judge, an unraced four-year-old by Bandmaster, will make his debut.

Charlotte Tizzard will campaign several of last season’s winners from her Milborne Port stables.

These include Coombe Hill, the very promising Sew On Target and Emile Zola.

Two interesting recruits are Audrey Kley’s unraced Parstara, out of her eight-time winning mare Castle Lynch, and Marjorie Tizzard’s Triggernometry, who won three races under Rules for Colin Tizzard’s stable.