FRANKIE MCDONALD is fast making a name for himself within the apprentice ranks grabbing every opportunity to outshine the senior jockeys.

McDonald was on the mark at Bath yesterday producing Amelia to win right on the wire, and followers of Frankie's fortunes will be pleased to see he heads to Haydock Park this afternoon to be reunited with Park Star (2.10).

Like her promising young pilot, Park Star is very much in the ascendancy, having won five races over the past few months. The first three came in low-grade affairs on the all-weather track at Southwell, but her last two turf victories have been far more meaningful in terms of form assessment plus paddock value. Darren Williams was in the saddle at Hamilton when she won at the first of her two races on grass, however it was McDonald doing the steering on Park Star last time out at Windsor, where the partnership made every yard of the running to collect in ultra-game fashion.

Derek Shaw's filly has edged up a few pounds in the ratings as a result of that success, although not enough in my judgement to prevent her from completing a well-deserved hat-trick in the five-furlong Dean Moor Handicap.

The Shank Lane Stakes, over the much longer trip of two miles, is fancied to fall to Rahwaan (3.15).

Chris Fairhurst shrewdly purchased the gelding out of John Dunlop's powerful stable at last autumn's horses-in-training Newmarket Sales. Rahwaan's initial target was always intended to be the Chester Cup, a race in which he ultimately finished fourth having nearly "pinched" it from the front at the over-generous odds of 50-1.

Michael Dods has stuck to his guns and opted to campaign Polish Corridor (4.15) in higher grade events, hence the latter's participation in the Class C Angel Handicap.

A bigger field might have been preferable since there would have been more chance of an end-to-end gallop, but Polish Corridor does possess a high cruising speed and sooner or later things will surely drop just right for him.

At Chepstow, 20 runners contest the closing seven-furlong Western Daily Press Handicap.

There's an old saying in the game, "the bigger the field, the bigger the certainty". It's not an adage that I have any particular faith in, although the well-handicapped Parker (5.05) does appear to have an outstanding chance at the weights.

Brynn Palling's six-year-old has plummeted down the ratings, dropping 12lb over the past 14 months. As a stand-alone fact that is not enough encouragement to part with one's hard-earned shillings, but put it together with an excellent back-to-form close-up third placing at Brighton recently and it could be time to invest.

Tony Dobbin can improve an already superb record at Perth by riding a treble aboard Bobayaro (2.55), Glinger (3.25), and Backcraft (4.25). Pick of the trio has got to be Bobayaro, a fluent jumper of fences fancied to put his rivals to the sword in the Bank Of Scotland Novices' Chase.

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