AGE may prove no barrier to the veteran 12-year-old Rymer's Rascal (5.00), strongly fancied to take the honours in the one-mile Hayton Handicap at Carlisle.

There's plenty of life left in the legs of Eric Alston's game old-timer yet, given the evidence of his latest effort when chasing home Mick Easterby's Acomb at Thirsk last time out.

Seeing as Acomb went on to follow-up in an ultra-competitive event at Sandown, the form of the Thirsk contest now has something of a gilt-edged look about it.

It is also worth noting that Alston has his team in sparkling fettle, which combined with the fact that his horse also tends to run his best races on stiff tracks, makes for a compelling case to back Rymer's Rascal in the £5,000 affair.

In the earlier Mitchell & Heap Handicap, Albashoosh (4.00), a tasty 7-1 winning nap for the column at Pontefract a week ago, has every chance of completing a quick-fire double. Alex Greaves always had her mount poised on the heels of the leaders, and when she kicked in the turbo the response was immediate as the combination scooted three lengths clear in a matter of strides.

With just a 6lb penalty to shoulder for what was a facile success, many punters will not unadvisedly be climbing aboard the Albashoosh bandwagon, if only because when a sprinter does hits top gear, they quite often rack up a profitable sequence.

All the way down on the Sussex coast, take of note of Little Flute (4.45) in the closing Racecourse Video Services Handicap at Brighton. Although Little Flute has achieved little to date on turf, she was mighty impressive, albeit in a weak race, when dotting up on the all-weather at Wolverhampton in April.

She's a filly with an all speed pedigree, therefore the fast and predominately downhill track should be right up the selection's street.

There's isn't a trainer in the land with his horses in better heart than Chris Wall, who has rattled off six winners from his last 21 runners.

With such a fantastic recent strike-rate, Warwick-bound Indian Lily (8.15) has to be on the short-list at the Midlands venue. "She's been showing promise and this is her first run in a handicap, I think she'll run a nice race," reported the bang in-form Newmarket handler.

Dual Derby winning trainer, Roger Charlton, has been slow to get his string rolling this term, however there have been signs of revival over the past couple of weeks.

Charlton has entered Water Taxi (9.15) in the closing Evershields Maiden Stakes, an event that appears to be at the mercy of the steadily progressing and superbly bred son of Zafonic.

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