There's a very interesting market for the Cock O' The North which gets underway at my local track Belle Vue tonight. Sam Poots' Ballymac Weeshie is the short price jolly and you can get 6/1 bar him which throws up plenty of each way opportunities.

Larkhill Bird, who was arguably unlucky not to take last years renewal, is very tempting at 10/1 with Bet365 and Paddy Power. She is however approaching her fifth birthday and also lacks a recent run, these two factors have made me pass on her this time round.

Vatican Crieff, formerly Corporate Signal, has some very smart Irish form. Now in the care of Pat Rosney, who is no stranger to winners at 'the zoo', he should go well but the best price of 6/1 is probably about right.

Of those at longer prices, Tom Fruit St Leger winner Barnfield Brooke and Julie Bateson's Halcrow Prince make most appeal. The latter looks especially good for trading purposes. Available at 25/1 with Coral he looks set to win his heat tonight which could set up opportunities to lay-off on Betfair and he's the one who will be carrying my cash.

The Cock O' The North starts at Belle Vue this evening with four first round heats. Ballymac Weeshie is a best priced 7/4 in the outright market and while he has an excellent chance I'm hoping to identify some each way value elsewhere.

First round draw -

20.25 670M WAFCOL COCK O THE NORTH - HEAT 1

1 NOIRS NOREEN (O D KUERES, BVUE)
2 VATICAN CRIEFF (P J ROSNEY, NOTTS)
3 UNIQUE PRINCE (L G TUFFIN, NOTTS)
4 LARKHILL BIRD (M WALSH, NEWC)
5 BLONDE MARCO (M) (G A HOWSON, UNATT)
6 CARBARNS TOM (W) (C R LISTER, UNATT)

20.40 670M WAFCOL COCK O THE NORTH - HEAT 2

1 THORNFIELD TOBY (J ANDREWS, BVUE)
2 SHEEPWALK NANNY (P PRIOR, DONC)
3 HALCROW PRINCE (J BATESON, UNATT)
4 BLONDE BANKER (M) (R A FIELDING, BVUE)
5 BALTREE ELLA (W) (J L MCCOMBE, BVUE)
6 ROSIES DIAMOND (W) (R HOUGH, SHEFF)

20.55 670M WAFCOL COCK O THE NORTH - HEAT 3

1 OWVANE BLUE BELL (N J SAUNDERS, BVUE)
2 NOIRS BRID (O D KUERES, BVUE)
3 DYSERT TAZMIN (J B MARSH, UNATT)
4 BARNFIELD BROOKE (P B PHILPOTT, UNATT)
5 VATICAN FYNE (M) (P J ROSNEY, NOTTS)
6 COMEBACK (W) (L G TUFFIN, NOTTS)

21.11 670M WAFCOL COCK O THE NORTH - HEAT 4

1 WESTMEAD FRISKY (P J ROSNEY, NOTTS)
2 BALLYMAC WEESHIE (S POOTS, UNATT)
3 BRIGHT SPICE (N J SAUNDERS, BVUE)
4 TRUTHFUL LAD (M) (T V HACKETT, NOTTS)
5 SWIFT DENN (W) (J ANDREWS, BVUE)
6 BREAD HEAD (W) (C HOPKINS, DONC)

The latest betting is available here.