Newmarket handler Sir Michael Stoute has few peers when it comes to the training of older horses.

It seems significant that the champion trainer has retained the lightly trained Misraah for a four-year-old campaign.

The colt, who thrived physically last year, looks as though he will be very well suited by the step back to sprinting and is the fancy in the NGK Spark Plus Abernant Stakes over six furlongs at Newmarket this afternoon.

This scopey son of Lure was thought good enough to run in last year's 2,000 Guineas but he cut little ice behind stable mate and subsequent winner King's Best.

My selection shaped really well despite not lasting home, over seven furlongs on his final two outings in group company last year and he wouldn't have to improve much on that form to make his mark here.

Stoute is also a dab hand with his three-year-old and his Goncharova can emulate stable mate Petrushka, who won last year's renewal of the Shadwell Stud Nell Gwyn Stakes over seven furlongs.

This good sort looked a filly with a future when winning impressively on heavy ground at Leicester on her debut last October.

The daughter of Gone West could not match that form at Newmarket later in the month, but she looks the type to do better with a winter on her back and Kieren Fallon rides her in preference to Ghazal.

The seven-furlong handicap at 3.40 looks a very trappy affair and only a small wager can be advised.

The selection is John Gosden's Spanish Spur, who is making his handicap debut.

He showed a fair bit of ability in the three maiden races on good and soft ground last autumn and this workman-like sort is open to considerable improvement.

At Southwell the best bet on an ordinary card looks to be Bound To Please in the Durban Handicap over seven furlongs.

This course specialist has been in fine form this winter at this track and he ran right up to his best when a close second to Ballet Master last time.

His ability to travel strongly up with the pace has stood him in good stead on the Fibresand and his wide draw should be an advantage as the runners have tended to come up the middle of the track in the straight in recent times.

Prix Star, who shaped well on his reappearance at Nottingham, can successfully negotiate the step down to five furlongs in the Feast of Random Walks handicap.

l Earthmover headed 46 horses confirmed yesterday for Saturday's Gala Group Scottish Grand National after all five in the initial handicap were withdrawn.

The Paul Nicholls-trained gelding, who unseated Joe Tizzard at the fourth in the Martell Grand National, had originally been set to carry 9st 13lb so weights for the £100,000 Ayr contest are set to rise by at least 25lb.

Other Aintree casualties left in the four-mile-one-furlong event include Unsinkable Boxer, Strong Tel, Dark Stranger, Addington Boy, You're Agoodun, Noble Lord, The Last Fling, Village King, Spanish Main, Kaki Crazy and Paddy's Return.

But Nicholls has taken out original topweight See More Business and Nicky Henderson did not declare classy pair Marlborough and Bacchanal.

* Beverley's meeting due this afternoon was called off due to waterlogging after a 10.30 inspection yesterday morning.

Recent heavy recent rain had put the fixture in doubt and racecourse manager Sally Iggulden said: 'The course is waterlogged in places.

''We've had some drier weather but not enough. There are some parts of the course which are still very wet.''

Tomorrow's sole surviving meeting is on the Flat at Newmarket.

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