RYAN Moore, conspicuous by his absence for two and a half months, can prove a thorn in the side of North Yorkshire trainer David O'Meara and jockey Danny Tudhope at Newmarket today as they bid to win the £100,000 Shadwell Stud Joel Stakes for the second successive year with Custom Cut.

Moore, who returned to race-riding action with a single mount on yesterday's Newmarket card, will be in opposition to Custom Cut aboard Time Test, who is fancied to take all the beating in this Group 2 contest.

Winner of his first two races this season, and hugely impressive in the Group 3 Tercentenary Stakes at Royal Ascot, Time Test was stepped up into the premier league at York last month when tackling the Juddmonte International Stakes, in which Golden Horn, the Derby winner, was sensationally beaten by outsider Arabian Queen.

Time Test finished fourth, which was a respectable effort. He is now down a level and down in distance and is fancied to have the measure of Custom Cut. one of the stalwarts of the O'Meara yard and most recently successful in the Group 2 Boomerang Stakes at Leopardstown.

Custom Cut will not easily be denied as he goes for a notable double in the Joel Stakes, but Time Test is selected to prove his superior with that man Moore in the saddle.

The former champion rider sustained a neck injury in a stalls incident at Newmarket's July Festival, which relegated arguably the world's best jockey to the sidelines for the busiest period of the campaign.

Thankfully, he is now back in action and he can hammer home the point on his other two mounts on this afternoon's card, both trained by Sir Michael Stoute.

He rides the well-regarded and seemingly progressive juvenile filly Thetis in the Shadwell Rockfel Stakes and will also be aboard the useful Cannock Chase, who has every chance of making his presence felt in the Sakhee Godolphin Stakes.

Richard Fahey can win the £30,000 Shadwell Farm Handicap, which is designed as a consolation event for horses which fail to make the cut in tomorrow's Cambridgeshire Handicap.

A winner at Leicester last time out, Flashy Memories is entitled to go well, up another furlong, in this tight handicap. Paul Hanagan has the mount.

Fahey, whose stable remains in unstoppable form, can also figure among the winners at Haydock Park.

The Malton trainer saddles the promising Evangelical, who is fancied to make it third-time-lucky after two creditable efforts in maiden company. Tony Hamilton rides.

Sunnyside Bob remains a maiden after four starts, but Geoff Oldroyd's juvenile has shown a useful level of ability and is taken to break his duck in the Brown Shipley Nursery Handicap.

On his latest start at Beverley four weeks ago, Sunnyside Bob finished second to the pretty smart Rosina in handicap company. His winning turn is surely not far away and he i napped to find it this afternoon.

Luca Cumani can land the JW Lees Bitter 1828 Handicap with Richard Of Yorke, the mount of Adam Kirby.

The likeable and lightly-raced three-year-old came good three weeks ago at Ascot when beating Aussie Andre by three-parts of a length. Raised 5lb for that success, he should continue to be competitive in handicap company.

Stillington trainer Ruth Carr has enjoyed a fine season and she had good prospects of landing the opening JW Lees MPA Handicap (division one).

Jimmy Sullivan's mount has run some good races this term and was a winner at Redcar in June. Third at Musselburgh on his latest start, San Cassiano has a bright chance of getting back in the winning groove here.

Also worth noting at the Lancashire venue are Captain Swift (2-10) for whom Graham Lee looks a positive booking, and All My Love (5-40), who deserves some reward for her consistency.