Far Pavilions, who spent most of last season on the sidelines with injury, makes the long journey from North Yorkshire tomorrow and can enjoy a major pay-day in the big race at Sandown.

Trained at Melsonby near Richmond by Alan Swinbank, the gelding lines up for the £60,000 Sunderlands Imperial Cup, a race which has been selected for him instead of the County Hurdle at next week's Cheltenham Festival.

Swinbank, who has always had a high opinion of Far Pavilions, placed him to win at Musselburgh last month, the six-year-old striding clear to score by four lengths. The handicapper has raised him 9lb for that success, but he remains handily weighted on the strength of his novice form a couple of seasons ago when he won four from five and was not far below the best.

Swinbank is eyeing up the Scottish Champion Hurdle at Ayr next month as a future target for Far Pavilions, and tomorrow's valuable prize would be a fitting reward in advance of his trip north. Jim Crowley continues his association with the northern raider, who is awarded the nap vote.

Cumbrian trainer Nicky Richards can figure at Sandown courtesy of Funny Times in the EBF/Doncaster Bloodstock Sales National Hunt Flat Race. An impressive four-lengths winner at Newcastle in January, Funny Times has always had this £25,000 race as her objective. Brian Harding has the mount.

Mick Easterby's Parknasilla also makes the journey south. He unseated his rider at Kelso last Saturday but can gain compensation in the Sunderlands Novices' Chase.

Up at Ayr, the £12,000 Allied Irish Bank Handicap Chase is the most valuable race on the card, and King Of The Arctic is fancied to reign supreme. John Wade's seven-year-old has come good in recent months and won his last two starts.

Tony Dobbin, rider of King Of The Arctic, can also score on Rehearsal (2.00) and recent course winner Jolika (3.40), while also worth watching is Moon Mist (2.30) in the Clyde Homes Celeebration Handicap Chase over three miles and five furlongs.

Long-distance events are Moon Mist's forte, as she proved when winning a similar contest here last time. She may be slow, but she is a relentless galloper.

There will no be lack of inte-rest in tomorrow's Flat card at Wolverhampton featuring the £50,000 Littlewoods Bet Direct Lincoln Trial Handicap, in which Sri Diamond will be a popular choice among punters.

Sylvester Kirk's charge comes into this race with his confidence sky-high after winning his last two starts. He looks sure to give Jimmy Fortune a great ride.

Kevin Ryan's Quiet Times (2.35), who goes well on this course, is worthy of note on this card, which will host the reappearance of Kieren Fallon, riding in Britain for the first time since he severed his ties with Sir Michael Stoute at Newmarket to become number-one jockey to Irish trainer Aidan O'Brien.

Saturday's tips:

Sandown

2.15 King Killone, 2.50 General Gossip, 3.25 Far Pavilions (NAP), 4.00 Funny Times, 4.30 Parknasilla, 5.00 Jarro.

Ayr

2.00 Rehearsal, 2.30 Moon Mist, 3.05 Brandy Wine, 3.40 Jolika, 4.15 Brave Vision, 4.45 King Of The Arctic, 5.15 The Right People.

Wolverhampton

2.05 Hiamovi, 2.35 Quiet Times, 3.10 Serbelloni. 3.45 Sri Diamond, 4.20 Indebted, 4.50 Set Alight, 5.20 Templet, 5.50 Distant Country.

Tomorrow's other meetings are at Chepstow and Southwell.

Updated: 09:48 Friday, March 11, 2005