Vita Spericolata can show her rivals a clean pair of heels on Knavesmire tomorrow.

The five-year-old, trained at Kennythorpe near Norton by John Wainwright, travels to her local course to contest the £25,000 Peterhouse Group Rated Handicap - one of a quartet of races being televised live on Channel 4 - and is napped to gain her second success of the campaign.

Vita Spericolata came good at Chester last month in a Listed race, which she had also won last season.

Since her latest victory, she has twice run well in defeat, finishing second at the Shergar Cup meeting at Ascot and runner-up again at Pontefract on her latest outing, when she was only collared in the shadow of the post. Tomorrow's faster course should suit her even better.

Mark Johnston returns Desert Deer to the racecourse in the £30,000 Persimmon Homes Strensall Stakes over nine furlongs. The four-year-old, a runaway winner on his first outing at Newmarket this season, then finished unplaced in Group 1 company at Royal Ascot in June and has been absent since.

Johnston's runners seldom fail through lack of fitness, however, and I fancy Desert Deer, a high-quality horse, to return to action in a blaze of glory.

The Emirates Airline Garrowby Rated Handicap over 12 furlongs offers Navado the chance to supplement his Windsor success on his latest outing in mid-July. Sir Michael Stoute's three-year-old made all the running to win by threequarters of a length from Playback.

If similar tactics are deployed tomorrow, Navado could be hard to catch with Kieren Fallon in the saddle.

Tomorrow's Tips:

YORK

1.55 Adjawar

2.25 Desert Deer

2.55 Vita Spericolata (Nap)

3.25 Navado

3.55 Gladys Aylward

4.25 Desert Star

4.55 Swynford Pleasure

Updated: 12:34 Tuesday, September 03, 2002