SUNSHINE seeker Rudi's Pet will be well suited by fast underfoot conditions for today's Group 1 Nunthorpe Stakes as the curtain comes down on yet another fabulous Ebor Meeting at York.

Although effective on an easy surface, Rudi's Pet (3.45) is in a different league when he can hear his hooves rattle, and a sweltering afternoon at the Knavesmire yesterday extracted plenty of the remaining moisture from the turf.

Perhaps the biggest danger to the selection, apart from the French raider and favourite Nuclear Debate, is an unfortunate pre-disposition to be caught napping in the stalls.

Indeed it was precisely that scenario which brought about his downfall in the Group 3 King George Stakes at Goodwood last time when narrowly beaten in a thrilling three-way photo.

On that occasion the David-Nicholls-trained sprinter forfeited a good few lengths as the gates flew open and had to use valuable early pace in order to make up the lost early ground.

Consequently the fuel gauge was registering empty over the final 100yds, and defeat, albeit by a tiny margin, was inevitable.

A little earlier in proceedings some slightly younger speed merchants exclusively from the fairer sex take each other on for the £80,000 Peugeot Lowther Stakes, an event confined solely to two-year-old fillies.

Last year's winner Jemima only had to travel twenty or so miles along the A64 from Great Habton, exactly the same route undertaken by today's tip Romantic Myth (2.35).

Both are trained by Tim Easterby whose total faith in Romantic Myth was fully justified when she winged home in the Queen Mary at Royal Ascot.

It's probably best to dismiss her subsequent defeat at Newbury simply as a bad day at the office because when on song she is an absolute flying machine.

It'll take a cracking miler to collect the ultra-competitive Bradford and Bingley Showcase Handicap with so many eight-furlong specialists in the 16-runner line-up.

You pay your money and take your chance in such a wide-open affair.

My particular two against the field are the bottom-weight Adobe, plus previous track and trip scorer Mayaro Bay.

The former has already won an astonishing seven races this term, a couple under his current partner, apprentice find-of-the-season, Keith Dalgleish.

Although Adobe looks sure to go well, I still just favour Mayaro Bay (3.10), a strongly built battle-hardened daughter of Robellino.

The mile-and-three-quarter Melrose Handicap is another incredibly tough nut to crack for punters hoping to go home in pocket, or at least still with a shirt on their backs.

One outsider capable of running well at a double-digit starting price is Kaiapoi (4.15).

He is returning nicely to form judged on his second placing at Chester on Sunday.

If your luck is out at York, why not try and claw back a few bob on Rising Spray (4.25) down at Folkestone.

He carried the nap vote at Salisbury last week where the 14-furlong trip stretched his stamina a smidgen too far.

Back over his favourite course and distance, a big run is on the cards from the nine-year-old near veteran.

l Tayseer is the 10-1 favourite to add to his tally of big-race victories in the Ladbroke (Ayr) Gold Cup next month.

David Nicholls' charge has already won the Bunbury Cup and Stewards' Cup this season and is one of 14 entries his trainer has made in the race.

The six-year-old has been allotted 9st 2lb for the £100,000 contest on September 16.