BOB BUCKLER can't wait for the 2007/08 National Hunt season to start because he believes his Melplash yard is more talented than ever.

The West Dorset trainer, who saddled I Hear Thunder to a prestigious Grand Sefton Chase success at Aintree last term, will send his first clutch of runners to post at Lingfield on Friday.

And he is certain that his current crop can improve on last season, which was his most successful as a professional trainer.

"We have got more horses and better horses than last year," said Buckler, whose horses won over £150,000 in prize money last term.

"This year we have got quite a lot of young and exciting new recruits and we have got some of the older horses that have had some problems coming back."

"I love seeing the young raw recruit developing along the way you hope he is going to," added the trainer. "I find that very exciting."

Two horses in his stable that have already caught the eye of racing experts at Timeform are Mossville and The Sawyer.

Mossville, a bay mare who was prolific on the English point-to-point circuit, ran four times in her first season with Buckler, winning once and finishing fourth in the Challow Novices' Hurdle at Cheltenham.

"She has had an operation on her throat because her soft palette was a bit loose and she was choking at the end of her races," said the Melplash trainer.

"Last year she was quite a difficult mare to train because she was a worrier and she weaved and she fretted and we struggled to keep weight on her.

"But this year, having had a good summer out, she is a less worried mare. She has matured a bit, she is eating much better and we are keeping weight on her."

"She is capable of winning some good handicap hurdles or good hurdle races," he added. "She is rated around 112 at the moment but I think she is a horse that is capable of winning off 130 or so."

The Sawyer, who notched back-to-back successes at Plumpton and Haydock in January, is likely to switch from hurdles to fences this season along with Double Dizzy.

Buckler is equally excited about the star duo and he believes they may come into their own over the larger obstacles.

"I would have thought The Sawyer is a big staying chaser," he said. "Double Dizzy has also had an operation on his throat this summer but is now back and looking magnificent."

The stable's leading light, I Hear Thunder, is likely to target the Grand National once again this season having missed out on the blue ribbon event at Aintree in April through injury.

"He has come back looking magnificent," said Buckler. "He would have just got into the Grand National last season on his rating but obviously he had a bit of a leg problem and had the rest of the season off.

"These big handicappers don't get many chances to win a race but the aim is to go for the Grand National again.

"That means we will need to keep his rating the same so he is really going to need to go out and win one race somewhere or get put up in the handicap a little bit himself a serious chance of going to Aintree."

Clyffe Hanger, a bumper winner at Exeter who also bagged first place in his only hurdle race at Leicester, is back to full fitness while Buckler picked out Cullahill as one of his most exciting new recruits.

"Clyffe Hanger won his bumper very impressively and then won a hurdle race before having a leg problem," said the trainer.

"He has had 18 months off but he is quite a talented horse and will be back in action as soon as the ground softens up a bit."

"Cullahill won an impressive point-to-point in Ireland and was one of the top lots at Cheltenham sales," he added.

"We could go straight chasing with him but I think he is good enough to win a bumper and a hurdles race beforehand."

So Wise So Young, Fixed Interest, Smoke Trail and Freedom Frix have all been entered at Lingfield on Friday with the former expected the go close under stable jockey Daryl Jacob in the lingfieldpark.co.uk Maiden Hurdle (2.20pm).