MIRACLE NINETYNINE looks a worthy player when he steps back up to a mile at Kempton.

The five-year-old gelding has had a rather nomadic career thus far, having previously been in the care of Richard Hannon and Irish trainer John James Feane.

He is now under the capable guidance of Ed Vaughan, for whom he came quite close to making a dream debut at Chelmsford on January 5.

The gelded son of Big Bad Bob was clearly not fancied in a decent enough seven-furlong handicap, yet he hugely outran odds of 25-1 to finish third behind Hakam.

Indeed, he would probably have got much closer to the winner on that occasion had his path not been significantly blocked inside the final furlong.

But once daylight did appear, the manner in which Miracle Ninetynine finished off his race under Tom Marquand tends to suggest the return to a mile for the Matchbook Exchange-sponsored handicap could be just the ticket.

Vaughan's new recruit, an impressive winner at Dundalk in November, is no handicap snip but he showed at Chelmsford that he is capable of doing some damage off his current mark.

It is also pleasing that Marquand is back in the saddle with today's nap selection.

WEDGEWOOD ESTATES could be available at a fair old price in the opening six-furlong handicap.

This does not look a strong race, yet Tony Carroll's mare might not necessarily be an obvious shout on her first run for 112 days.

Be that as it may, Wedgewood Estates was an easy winner at Yarmouth in June and flickered with a little bit of intent at Wolverhampton on her most recent spin in September.

The daughter of Assertive finished fifth of 12 runners but that effort perhaps deserves to be bumped up a shade if the fact she encountered traffic problems late on is factored into the equation.

Carroll fields three runners in this race, yet the David Probert-ridden Wedgewood Estates could well be the one as she attempts to cash in on a fair handicap mark.

SUTTER COUNTY should probably get the job done under PJ McDonald in the six-furlong fast-track qualifier on the card.

Mark Johnston's colt is the highest-rated horse in this six-runner field, yet he arguably found things happening a bit quickly for him over five furlongs at Wolverhampton on December 3.

The son of Invincible Spirit flashed home to finish third, beaten a length by Dubai One, which was a solid, if slightly unspectacular, effort.

Johnston's decision to revert to six furlongs, over which he only lost out by a slender margin at Newcastle in November, looks a good move.

Fond memories of back-to-back victories on his first two starts on a racecourse, the most compelling of which was a nine-length cakewalk at Wolverhampton last March, should not be forgotten.

Wise trainer Sandy Thomson will be optimistic ROWDY ROCHER can seize the day back over fences in the Racing UK-sponsored handicap chase at Ayr.

The 11-year-old has been heavily punished for winning so tidily over hurdles at this track on January 2, so he is clearly in decent fettle.

Rowdy Rocher's recent chase performances have been nothing to write home about, yet he is a useful operator in that discipline on his day and is now rated 7lb lower than over hurdles.

DANCE FLOOR KING, partnered by Daryl Jacob, must have every chance in a two-mile-three-furlong handicap chase at Exeter.

Nick Mitchell's inmate has been in fair nick at the Devon circuit this season, having most recently finished a nine-length second behind Flaming Charmer in a race in which his jockey lost his irons after an error at the last fence.

Dance Floor King knocked off a hat-trick a few years ago and now looks to have finally been given some respite from the assessor.