North Yorkshire's sprint-king 'Dandy' Nicholls sets a poser by running four fancied horses in the £65,000 Vodafone Stewards' Cup at Goodwood tomorrow.

But the pick of the Sessay trainer's quartet promises to be Undeterred, who is my Nap selection to make up for his luckless effort in last year's race when he finished third to Guinea Hunter after meeting trouble in running.

Undeterred, owned by BHB chairman Peter Savill, has had a long, losing run since then but he has slipped down the handicap as a result and has plenty to recommend him off bottom weight of 7st 12lb.

Narrowly beaten at Doncaster last time, and accidentally hit across the face by a rival jockey's whip at Pontefract on his previous start, Undeterred has been running well enough lately to suggest he has a major chance of landing this jackpot prize.

Nicholls' other three runners, Hurricane Floyd, Tayif and Awake also come into the reckoning, as do Kevin Ryan's pair, Halmahera - runner-up in this race twice in the last three years - and Manorbier, not to mention the Mick Easterby duo, Doctor Spin and Elvington Boy, but Undeterred will do for me in what promises to be a cracking 30-runner spectacle.

In the Vodafone Nassau Stakes all eyes will be on Islington as she bids to make up for her dismal display in the Vodafone Oaks at Epsom.

Sir Michael Stoute's filly had previously won the Musidora Stakes at York in the style of a high-class performer. She deserves the chance to prove she is just that as she returns to action under Kieren Fallon.

L'Oiseau d'Argent, the mount of Pat Eddery and a recent scorer at Doncaster, can be another winner for Sir Michael in the Vodafone Thoroughbred Stakes.

The consistent Fire Up The Band gives David Nicholls another strong string to his bow in the Richard Baerlein Rated Handicap.

With tomorrow's Thirsk card in doubt because part of the course is waterlogged, Yorkshire racegoers can turn towards Doncaster.

In-form trainer Richard Fahey could be the man to follow. He saddles triple-winner King's Crest in the Weatherbys VAT Services Summer Cup, and Cyclonic Storm, a dual-winner, in the doncaster-racecourse.com Fillies' Handicap.

Needwood Blade will be hard to beat in the Stanley Racing Conditions Stakes. A course and distance winner, this four-year-old has finished in the money in all his three starts this term.

Desert Lord was a costly failure on his debut two weeks ago, but Sir Michael Stoute's highly-regarded colt should not be ignored as he attempts to recover those losses in the EBF Unison Trade Union Maiden Stakes.

Tomorrow's tips:

Goodwood

2.15 Fellow Ship, 2.45 L'Oiseau d'Argent, 3.20 Islington, 3.50 Undeterred (Nap), 4.25 Scott's View, 5.00 Fire Up The Band, 5.35 Vanderlin.

Doncaster

2.20 Desert Lord, 2.50 Ticket To Dance, 3.25 Needwood Blade, 4.00 King's Crest, 4.30 Cyclonic Storm, 5.05 College Hippie.

Updated: 12:24 Friday, August 02, 2002