Malton jockey Paul Hanagan, seen to such good effect when winning a valuable handicap at Pontefract on Monday on the Richard Fahey-trained Danelor, can work the oracle again at Doncaster tomorrow on behalf of first-season trainer Karen McLintock.

Based near Newcastle, McLintock, formerly an assistant-trainer, took over the reins from Don Eddy in February and has already had three winners over jumps.

With Hanagan's assistance, she can notch her first Flat success, courtesy of Kristensen in tomorrow's opening Stanleybet Handicap.

A useful stayer, Kristensen has run some of his best races in defeat in major handicaps, and he did get his head in front at Southwell in December.

Off the track until running a good fifth on the same course earlier this month, when racing over an inadequate 12 furlongs, Kristensen will relish the step up to two-and-a-quarter miles tomorrow. With Hanagan on board, the six-year-old is napped to come out on top.

Barry Hills has a great record at Doncaster's opening meeting of the season and the Lambourn trainer saddles a couple of interesting runners tomorrow.

In the Stanleybet Maiden Stakes, which he won for the umpteenth time last year with Zonus, Hills is represented by Dabbers Ridge, the mount of his son, Michael.

Beaten by only four lengths into seventh place in a six-furlong maiden on this course last November, on his only previous outing, Dabbers Ridge looks a horse to follow this season.

Hills saddles Fashionable in the Maltby Maiden Stakes and Richard Hughes' mount is also worthy of attention.

Although she has never raced, Fashionable, owned by Juddmonte Farms, is a beautifully-bred and well-related daughter of Nashwan. If she proves to be even half as good as her pedigree, she will surely give an excellent account of herself.

The £20,000 Stanleybet Handicap over five furlongs brings together a host of well-known sprinters, the vast majority having their first race for some time.

Knowing which will be fit is the hard part at this time of the year, but at least we know that Cape Royal, who finished a creditable fourth at Musselburgh last Sunday, is on the right path. A smart performer with Lynda Ramsden last season, and now with sprint-specialist Milton Bradley, he looks a horse to keep on the right side this season.

The £25,000 Stanleybet Spring Mile Handicap is the consolation race for those horses which fail to make the cut in Saturday's Lincoln.

Run over the same straight mile, it is also devilishly difficult to solve. Oddsmaker, from the in-form David Evans yard, is a previous course winner, who has recently had a pipe-opener on the all-weather. He looks to have as good a chance as any of landing this 22-runner cavalry charge.

Over the jumps at Newbury, Graham Lee could have yet another profitable afternoon.

Lee, who will decide today whether to ride Grey Abbey in the Grand National on Saturday week or stick with Amberleigh House, on whom he won the race last year, should get good spins from Brian Ellison's King Eider (1.30) and fellow Norton challenger, the Andy Turnell-trained Kew Jumper (3.10), a recent winner at Huntingdon.

Tomorrow's Tips

Doncaster

1.15 Kristensen (NAP); 1.50 Dabbers Ridge; 2.20 Oddsmaker; 2.55 Cape Royal; 3.30 Wizby; 4.05 Fashionable.

Newbury

1.30 King Eider; 2.00 Cruising River; 2.35 Edgar Wilde; 3.10 Kew Jumper; 3.45 The Butterwick Kid; 4.20 Tomina.

Tomorrow's other meeting is at Lingfield.

Updated: 10:23 Thursday, March 31, 2005