SIR MICHAEL Stoute has pencilled in two of his top three-year-olds for this afternoon's attheraces-sponsored Oaks and Derby trials at Lingfield.

First on stage is Barzah (2.40), a beautifully-bred 300,000-guineas daughter of Darshaan, owned by Hamdan Al Maktoum.

Having netted a mere £3,493 on her sole start when scoring with effortless ease at Pontefract last June, Sheikh Hamdan could do with recouping a little more of Barzah's hefty price tag by collecting today's £40,000 contest.

The Pontefract race was a six-furlong affair, however Barzah's pedigree suggests she will have little difficulty staying the near one-and-a-half-mile trip since the fillies' sire has always been an influence for stamina and her dam won over a trip in excess of two miles.

In the later Derby trial Sir Michael fields the recent Leicester maiden winner First Charter (3.40).

He also races in the UK courtesy of another middle-east owner, Saeed Suhail, who shelled out 160,000 guineas for Polish Precedent colt.

Although First Charter only beat Ed Dunlop's Rasid by a neck, it actually featured jockey Shane Kelly at his cheekiest because the winning margin could easily have been three lengths or more had he pushed his mount right out to the line.

Kieran Fallon has been booked to do the steering now and I doubt whether he'll be taking things quite so calmly in view of the fact that Mark Johnston's Bandari will be breathing right down his neck.

With virtually all of Johnston's three-year-olds running out of their skins at present, Bandari might well be a tough nut to crack, however First Charter really does look right out of the top drawer.

There's another serious northern interest in the following six-furlong Showcase Handicap via Fire Up The Band (4.10) from the David Nicholls stable.

Nicholls has already plundered one big sprint at Newmarket with Fire Up The Band, who launched a stunning late charge to collar My Only Sunshine right on the wire.

He's clearly a progressive colt and David's son, Adrian, has once gain been booked to ride.

A good deal more staying power will be required up at Beverley in the two-mile Telebet Handicap.

A fair few of the big southern yards have come up to try to pinch the money, but I favour the home team to grab the glory in the guise of Mary Reveley's Polish Flame (3.25).

Despite running as green as grass, he still hacked up at Hamilton last Sunday and I don't think a 6lb penalty is going to stop him completing a quick-fire double.

Tony Tie ((4.25) is a strong fancy for the extended one-mile Coachman Caravans Handicap having run with such promise in last weekend's Thirsk Hunt Cup.

Tony Tie looked a shade tubby in the paddock on that occasion and ran as if he just needed the outing. If that assessment is correct Jim Goldie's Scottish raider should now be cherry-ripe to take the money back north of the border.

Thirsk's evening fixture has attracted plenty of runners including Virgin Soldier (7.40) in the two-mile Conservative Party Handicap.

The gallant six-year-old left Mark Johnston last year and has since won over timber for his current handler, Alan Swinbank, based at Melsonby, between Richmond and Darlington.

Virgin Soldier is an extremely tough and genuine six-year-old, well up to humping his big weight against some inferior rivals.

Bet of the day over the sticks has to be Glendamah (4.00) in the Founders Ale Selling Handicap Hurdle at Hexham,

The John Weymes-trained gelding won in gritty style over track and trip last Saturday, jumping to the front at the second last flight and then hanging on gamely in a dour struggle from the last.

What Glendamah lacks in class he makes up for in sheer guts and he is fancied to follow-up.

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