A WEEK that heralds the start of York’s 2015 racing programme, begins with a bumper eight-race card at Doncaster this afternoon and the chance for Paul Hanagan to get firmly in the swing of a winning run before returning to Knavesmire where he is one of the leading jockeys.

Hanagan has an important week ahead. On Wednesday in the Duke Of York Stakes, he will be aboard Muthmir, winner of last year’s Portland Handicap, who now attempts to step up to Group race company, while the following day, he will be partnering the classy Nafaqa, runner-up in both the Royal Lodge Stakes and the Craven, in the Dante Stakes in the hope the colt can advertise his Derby claims.

Hanagan has a whole host of winning opportunities today and five of his mounts have found their way on to the selection board.

In the two divisions of the betdaq.com Maiden Stakes, he teams up with a pair of promising colts.

Alkawn, runner-up at Nottingham, was beaten into third at cramped odds on his latest start at Wolverhampton but, back on turf, he could leave that Tapeta form well behind.

In the next race, Mustaaqeem, trained by Sir Michael Stoute, aims to fulfil the promise he showed when going down by a neck to Winter House in the Wood Ditton Stakes at Newmarket on his debut last month.

Hanagan will also be wearing the colours of his retaining owner, Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum, aboard Mulaaseq in the Cash Out On The Betdaq+ App Handicap.

Marcus Tregoning’s three-year-old overcame greenness to make a winning debut here at the Lincoln meeting and is open to heaps more improvement. He starts his handicap life off a mark of 80, which could prove a favourable rating.

Hanagan also joins forces with his former Malton boss Richard Fahey, for whom he rode a double at Chester last Thursday.

He rides Mendelita in the Betdaq Fillies’ Handicap. The four-year-old couldn’t be considered a likely winner judged on her reappearance effort at Newcastle a month ago.

But she proved a good deal better than that last season when winning at Carlisle in August.

Fingers are crossed that she can bounce back in a pretty modest event.

Character Onesie will be Hanagan’s final mount on the card. The Fahey-trained gelding was unable to go the pace in a six furlong maiden at Ayr recently, but he now steps up to seven furlongs and is into a handicap off a lowly mark of 65. He should be competitive in the second division of the Betdaq Handicap.

Also worth noting on Town Moor are Jedd O’Keefe’s Shared Equity (4.25), a good second to Tatlisu on this course at the Lincoln meeting, and the promising Pressure (5.30), who is entitled to take a step forward off his creditable re-appearance effort at Leicester two weeks ago.

At Musselburgh, nap selection Gambino may provide the solution to the Racing UK Profits Returned To Racing Handicap over a mile.

The five-year-old was beaten only a length into third place at Haydock last time after meeting trouble in running. Gambino is a previous winner over this course and distance.

Eilean Mor is selected to make the most of bottom weight in the CKD Galbraith Handicap.

The seven-year-old finished a good third over an inadequate mile here a couple of weeks ago.

Back up to a mile and a half this time, Eilean Mor can run a big race under Joey Haynes.

Doncaster today: 2.10 Stormin Tom, 2.40 Mendelita, 3.15 Alkawn, 3.50 Mustaaqeem, 4.25 Shared Equity, 5.00 Mulaaseq, 5.30 Pressure, 6.05 Character Onesie.

Musselburgh today: 2.00 Newgate Queen, 2.30 Fishergate, 3.05 Gambino (NAP), 3.40 Eilean Mor, 4.15 Rainbow Orse, 4.50 All You, 5.20 Opt Out.

Today’s other meetings: Towcester, Windsor and Wolverhampton.