MIDNIGHT Escape, without a win since 1998, can end his barren spell tomorrow at Sandown's televised meeting.

The seven-year-old, from the bang-in-form Chris Wall stable at Newmarket, goes for the £15,000 Carnival Starts Handicap - the first of four races on Channel 4 - and will have the accomplished Richard Mullen in the saddle.

While it is some time since Midnight Escape last got his head in front, he ran some cracking races in defeat last season - a fourth-placed effort in the Tote Portland Handicap at Doncaster being one of them - and his latest efforts have suggested that a return to form is imminent.

On his latest start, at Lingfield, Midnight Escape was beaten little more than two lengths into fifth place by Fire Dome in a competitive six furlongs handicap.

From a stable firing on all cylinders, Midnight Escape will appreciate the return to a stiff five furlongs tomorrow and is awarded the Nap vote to gain a long overdue success.

In the £100,000 Tote Exacta Showcase, the richest race of the day, Sharp Play has good prospects of bringing the prize back to North Yorkshire.

Trained by Mark Johnston, this ex-invalid, sidelined for the whole of last season, has shown himself to be right back to form this term.

His latest effort, in a hot race at Ascot, saw him finish a half-length second to Blue after coming from a long way off the pace and meeting trouble in running.

Valuable compensation could come Sharp Play's way tomorrow, with Richard Hughes in the saddle.

The step up to seven furlongs should suit Blueberry Forest in the Caribbean Novice Stakes.

John Dunlop's colt, a winner at Doncaster on his debut, was doing all his best work in the closing stages at Sandown last time when chasing home Marine over six furlongs. Pat Eddery has the mount here.

At Beverley's evening meeting tomorrow Bacchus deserves one more chance in the £10,000 Aunt Bessie's Yorkshire Pudding Handicap.

Given the name of the race, it is tempting to suggest that Julie Camacho's charge will rise to the occasion after filling the frame in all his three starts this season, two of them on this course, where he won the selling handicap at last year's meeting.

Francis Norton has the task of guiding Bacchus, a horse who needs things to go his way in a race, to an overdue victory.

Tomorrow's tips

SANDOWN

2.05 Midnight Escape (Nap), 2.35 Blueberry Forest, 3.10 Sharp Play, 3.45 Fanaar, 4.15 Gold Quest, 4.50 Tinsel Whistle.

BEVERLEY

6.50 Detroit City, 7.20 Extra Guest, 7.50 Bacchus, 8.20 Spa Lane, 8.50 Up Tempo, 9.20 Polished Up.

Tom O'Ryan's Nap choice Dovebrace triumphed at 6-1 at Catterick yesterday.