John Quinn, with a brace of winners and several placed horses already bagged in the first week of the new turf campaign, can make his presence felt at Ascot tomorrow.

The Settrington trainer saddles the highly-regarded Beauvrai in the £50,000 tote.co.uk Showcase Sprint Handicap and Tony Culhane's mount is napped to hit the jackpot in one of three races being televised on BBC2.

Lightly-raced last season, Beauvrai came good with two successes at the backend, at Wolverhampton and Lingfield, and looks the type of horse who could progress into a very useful speedster this term.

Tomorrow's five-and-a-half furlongs should suit him well and, with Quinn's horses in such fine form, I expect Beauvrai to give the Ryedale stable a big pay-day.

David Nicholls can make his mark on the Ascot card with Fire Up The Band in the opening race, the Tote Bookmakers Handicap over six furlongs.

The high-class four-year-old, narrowly beaten in a handicap at Royal Ascot last June, was subsequently sidelined. But he made a hugely-encouraging return to action when finishing third to Law Breaker at Doncaster last week.

So long as tomorrow's race does not come a fraction too soon for him, he should be hard to beat. Adrian Nicholls, the trainer's jockey-son, again has the mount.

Askham, a decent campaigner when trained by Luca Cumani, has now joined James Given and this lightly-raced five-year-old could enjoy a profitable campaign.

He is not to be underestimated as he returns to action in the Tote betXpress Conditions Stakes.

Flownaway, who has been in fine form on all-weather tracks, merits support in the Tote Exacta Handicap over two miles.

Richard Quinn teams-up with the William Jarvis-trained stayer, who is unlucky not to have won his last three starts.

At Haydock, which has four races being televised on Channel 4, Turn Of Phrase should go well in the Commholst Management Juvenile Novices' Hurdle.

Richard Fahey's gelding came good in great style at Wetherby last Sunday when recording a wide-margin sucess. He is primed to follow-up tomorrow.

The in-form Valleymore boasts excellent hat-trick prospects in the Commholst UK Lifting Solutions Handicap Hurdle, while the progressive Almire Du Lia has a better chance than most in the Commholst Novices' Hurdle.

Channel 4 will also be showing four races from Market Rasen, where the £12,000 bluesq.com Handicap Hurdle looks a good opportunity for Red Sun to get back in the winning groove.

Trainer John Mackie's horses, who went through a lean spell during the winter, are running well again now.

Red Sun is a previous winner over this course and distance. The accomplished Lee Vickers has the mount.

Also worth noting at the Lincolnshire track are the consistent Strong Magic (2.45) and previous course winner Druid's Glen (3.50).

Saturday's tips:

ASCOT

1.45 Fire Up The Band, 2.20 Askham, 2.55 Flownaway, 3.30 Beauvrai (Nap), 4.00 Anani, 4.35 Highland Shot

HAYDOCK

(televised races)

1.55 Minster York, 2.30 Turn Of Phrase, 3.05 Valleymore, 3.40 Double Bogey Blues.

MARKET RASEN

(televised races)

1.40 Our Armageddon, 2.10 City Gent, 2.45 Strong Magic, 3.20 Red Sun.

- Tomorrow's other meeting is at Hexham.

- Tom O'Ryan's Nap selection for yesterday's racing, Living Daylights, won at 12-1.

Updated: 11:58 Friday, March 28, 2003