BETTING in 24-runner races is arguably one of the fastest routes to the poor house, so while a small investment is recommended on A Touch Of Frost (3.00) in the Kronenbourg Handicap at York today, don't be tempted to go overboard.

Sentiment shouldn't really play any sort of part in the battle against the bookies, but I readily admit to having a soft spot for greys such as A Touch Of Frost (3.00), easy to spot among the constant blur of bay and chestnuts which tend to dominate thoroughbred breeding nowadays.

And A touch Of Frost has extremely solid credentials. She's a previous course and distance scorer, coming nicely to the boil judged on a brace of encouraging efforts at Salsibury lately.

As regular readers will recognise, supporting short-priced favourites is anathema to this column. However, there's always an exception to the rule and I sincerely believe Akbar (3.35) will justify strong market confidence in the following Foster's Silver Cup.

Two starts ago the near black son of Doyoun buckled down to some serious graft at Goodwood to land a pretty valuable mile-and-six-furlong handicap.

Then, despite dropping back two furlongs in trip, he very nearly added Royal Ascot glory to that victory when pipped right on the wire by stable-mate Takamaka Bay.

Now returning to his optimum distance, Akbar has the class to strut his stuff in front of a crowd of around 25,000, if past attendance's are anything to go by.

David Barron goes pot hunting once again down to Ascot with Muja Farewell (3.05) in the five-furlong Gala Group Handicap.

Make no mistake she's got speed to burn, ably demonstrated when destroying her rivals with a superlative pillar-to-post success over track and trip last month.

It was a superlative piece of spectacular front running by the budding speed star, a feat I fully expect her to repeat in the £35,000 Berkshire showpiece.

Tim Easterby's My American Beauty (2.35) pays a visit to Nottingham attempting to make it three wins from her last four starts.

Given luck she could conceivably be bidding for a four-timer because the three-year-old filly appeared to be an unlucky loser on her latest start at Pontefract, where Kieren Fallon, perhaps for once, overdid the waiting tactics.

When Fallon did decide to make his move, their path was crucially blocked at the furlong pole. Although it was only a mini-traffic jam, the incident may still have significantly influenced the final result.

The End Game Conditions Stakes has attracted a small but select field at Chester for the £15,000 prize.

Not only does the tough-as-teak seven-year-old Granny's Pet (4.30) know how to handle the sharp left-handed track, he also seems to be reaching concert pitch after a couple decent runs at Leicester and Newmarket.

* Runaway 8-1 scorer Love Everlasting continued the superb run of winning nap selections for Janus (Colin Woods) at York yesterday, as Mark Johnston and David Nicholls both gave it the old 'one-two' as local trainers dominated.

Jockey Joe Fanning was the prime beneficiary as he teamed up with both to land a 116-1 double.

He finished fast and late on Middleham-based Johnston's Love Everlasting to land the £17,500-added John West Tuna Rated Stakes by five lengths from stable-companion Mana d'Argent.

The winner was having her first try at a mile and a half and her trainer said: ''She stayed very well and this is her trip.

Johnston completed his own 39-1 double as Ice (7-2) returned to form and made all in the Cuisine de France Rated Stakes under Kevin Darley, scoring his fifth course win on only his seventh visit to York.

Thirsk trainer Nicholls underlined his string's good form as 12-1 shot Peartree House, ridden more patiently than usual, led a quarter-mile from home to land the Hearthsted Homes Stakes under Fanning, with stable-companion Hormuz (10-1) chasing him home.

A 194-1 double for the trainer was initiated when Nicholls' son Adrian drove 14-1-shot American Cousin to a narrow defeat of Eastern Trumpeter in the opening Mr Kipling Exceedingly Good Stakes, with stable-companions Zuhair and Atlantic Viking third and fifth respectively