REJUVENATED Seifi (3.25) should help pay the afternoon's expenses on a busy seven-race card at Newcastle.

After looking like a real slow-coach, the in-form six-year-old has recently found a new lease of life by rattling off two wins in quick succession. Punters gave Seifi a wide berth prior to the first of those victories, sending him off as a 50-1 rank outsider at Beverley.

Outsider or not, he still did the business and then followed up at the other end of the betting scale when justifying 7/4 favouritism at Musselburgh nine days ago.

"We've always thought he was a nice horse but until of late he's had his problems," said triumphant trainer Brian Ellison, whose Malton-based team are in enviably excellent heart at present.

The opening five-furlong Novice Stakes brings together some very fleet-of-foot youngsters, including Angaric (2.20) and Mullard.

Although both finished in the frame on their respective debuts, preference is marginally for Angaric, a creditable Carlisle third to Mark Johnston's Royal Engineer.

Insiders at Johnston's all-conquering yard hold Royal Engineer in pretty high regard, so it's fairly safe to assume that Angaric is no mug either when it comes to the speed stakes.

Johnny Murtagh definitely donned his kid gloves when partnering Goodwood-bound Soulacroix (2.10) on his Chester return.

Soulacroix's mid-pack seventh placing in that race didn't really represent the true merit of the run, notably because Murtagh was very easy on his mount once the Irish ace realised the game was up and the leaders had flown.

Trainer Amanda Perrett will doubtless have left something to work on fitness-wise with the selection, likely to benefit from today's longer distance, plus potentially stronger handling, when push comes to shove inside the final furlong.

Quick ground at Wetherby shouldn't hinder Flight Command (3.00), a likeable young chaser with scope for plenty of improvement.

Peter Beaumont's seven-year-old, an authoritative course-and-distance scorer last term, possesses the class to defy top-weight having already shown he's got the bottle to tackle the towering fences at the popular North Yorkshire venue.

* Ouija Board caught the eye on the Newmarket gallops yesterday as she did her first piece of work since mid-April.

A splint on the four-year-old Cape Cross filly's near-fore meant there has been a small delay in her early-season preparations, but yesterday she exercised over a mile on the Cambridge Road Polytrack, looking on good terms with herself throughout.

Last year's Oaks and Breeders' Cup heroine, under regular gallops partner Chris Hinson, moved smoothly and found no problem in easing ahead of her lead horse False Promise.

Ouija Board's trainer Ed Dunlop said: ''I was very pleased with her - that was her first bit of work since the Wednesday during the Craven meeting.

"She went a mile, cantering for five-and-a-half furlongs before just quickening up towards the end."