YALA ENKI should have what it takes to deal with whatever Haydock throws at him in the "Tap Tap Boom" "Fixed Brush" Handicap Hurdle.

With the well-attended Grade Three likely to be a rare old struggle, only those with an aptitude for testing conditions can be shortlisted.

Enter stage right Yala Enki, whose soft-ground form in France neatly fulfils the criteria.

Now in training with Venetia Williams, the five-year-old son of Nickname - himself an absolute hot-shot in the mud - could not have looked much better at Exeter on November 3.

Sent on his way at odds of 4-1, Aidan Coleman's companion made a sizeable leap forwards from a fair British debut at Uttoxeter by making all of the running en route to a 16-length triumph.

Heavy rain did not make life easy for any of the 14 runners - only five horses actually completed - but there was something really quite uplifting by the manner in which he embraced the challenge.

Twice a winner over fences in his homeland, Yala Enki should be ideally equipped to handle these unique obstacles, which always takes some doing.

His dissidents will point to a lack of experience for a race of this magnitude, which is fair enough, but, as such, the Williams horse gets in lightly at the bottom of the weights and was hardly hidden beneath a bushel during his racing days in France.

The lure of a £1million 'Triple Crown' bonus as incentive for winning the Betfair Chase has rather backfired, but Silviniaco Conti can at least keep to his end of the deal.

Paul Nicholls' six-times Grade One winner will seemingly never capture the public's imagination whatever he does as his inability to show his true colours at Cheltenham remains the nine-year-old's Achilles heel.

Haydock in the rain is, however, a tailor-made scenario for Silviniaco Conti, who has won this race twice before and swept aside any perceived rustiness with a pleasing spin over hurdles at Kempton.

Fine Flat racing at Lingfield, where Race Day can march on in the 32Red Conditions Stakes - yet another fast-track qualifier for All-Weather Finals Day on Good Friday.

Godolphin's young colt is on a Lingfield hat-trick, having won so well in late October and then a week ago over a mile.

Saeed bin Suroor's representative is back over seven furlongs, but that might be a help rather than a hindrance for a horse who loves to get on with things.

Race Day must give weight to the entire field back at Lingfield, but he is already quite experienced for his tender years and should be much to good for most of these.

Naoise can further boost the all-weather kitty by winning the Download The Ladbrokes App Handicap at Wolverhampton.

Ollie Pears' two-times course winner is not that badly handicapped on his best form and was a bit unfortunate to finish only third at this track earlier in the month when deprived of a smooth passage inside the final furlong.

With the exceptionally gifted Vautour highly unlikely to falter in the Stella Artois 1965 Chase at Ascot, most punters should look elsewhere on the card as Willie Mullins' six-year-old is of limited punting appeal.

The hat-trick-seeking Brother Tedd is admittedly hardly available at a juicy price, either, but that clinical Kempton defeat of Silviniaco Conti should not easily be forgotten ahead of the Coral Hurdle.

At this stage of the game, he looks well worth a try in this sort of company.

Flemi Two Toes' staying-on second at Huntingdon at the beginning of the month must be factored into the equation back at the Cambridgeshire track for the TurfTV Handicap Hurdle.