SAEED BIN SUROOR'S superb record at York could well be upheld by Moon Ballad (2.55) in this afternoon's immensely valuable £145,000 Derby trial, the Convergent Dante Stakes.

The Godolphin trainer comes out top of the table on the number of wins (six), amount of prize money won (£371,000), plus has easily the best strike-rate (27 per cent) compared to any of his rivals at the three-day Dante meeting.

And Moon Ballad stated his case in no uncertain terms with a tremendous first run back on British soil when second in a ten furlong listed contest at Newmarket following a winter spent in the warm Dubai sunshine.

For once there is plenty of local interest in the Group 2 event with the inclusion of Sir George Turner, Bollin Eric, and Jelani in the line-up.

Having been narrowly thwarted when tipping up Sir George Turner in last week's Dee Stakes, I should really be supporting him once again.

However, even his trainer Mark Johnston has admitted that the colt is a rather a quirky character and has taken the unusual step of fitting the three-year-old with a set of blinkers after a satisfactory Monday morning work out with the "peepers" on at Middleham.

Neither should Tim Easterby's Bollin Eric be ignored either.

I included him (as well as Jelani) in my Racing North ten-to-follow list for the season, and he has a definite each-way chance after making such an encouraging reappearance at Newmarket's Craven Meeting last month.

Her Majesty The Queen is also represented by Right Approach, reckoned by Kieran Fallon last year "as one of the best horses I have ever sat on."

All in all a contest to saviour so be sure to set the video and catch it on Channel 4 if you're otherwise engaged.

In the following £30,000 Showcase Handicap, Surprise Encounter (3.25) is fancied to make a winning return.

Ed Dunlop's classy miler won first time out last term prior to claiming the Hunt Cup at Royal Ascot in blistering fashion.

The vast expanse of open ground at the Knavesmire is tailor-made for long distance races and the closing mile-and-three-quarter Datel handicap promises to be a another thrilling contest.

Selecting a ten-year-old in such hugely competitive events may seem like folly, but good old Fatehalkhair did us a massive 15-2 favour when collecting the Durham Foster National over fences and believe it or not he's just as effective on the level!

Former Echo columnist, Denton-based Michael Dods has got off to a flying start for 2002 with the likes of Smith N Allan Oils (6.15), bidding to compete a quick-fire hat-trick at Newcastle this evening.

Like so many of the Dods' winners, Smith N Allan Oils has been remarkably generously-priced, firstly shedding his tag at Ripon (14-1), prior to recording a 7-1 Tyneside course victory last time out.

David Barron's Dispol Rock (7.15) needs strong handling so there's none better then Kieran "the enforcer" Fallon to get him home in the mile-and-a-half Rutter Selling Handicap.

Fallon will have to get his skates on to travel up from York's afternoon meeting, as will Kevin Darley, booked to ride the John Hills-trained Waterside (7.45) in the five furlong maiden.

The form shown by the Lambourn raider during the 2001 campaign was streets ahead of the majority of his opponents and provided he is anywhere near race-fit should reward favourite backers with a comfortable success

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