by Tom O'Ryan

Avro Anson, Ryedale's big hope for the Martell Grand National on Saturday week, warms up for Aintree at Doncaster tomorrow by running in a Flat race.

The 10-year-old, trained at Norton by Julie Camacho, has had only two outings over jumps this season and has been denied several other opportunities because of soft ground, which he detests.

Time is running out for Avro Anson to be at his peak for the National, in which he finished sixth last year and Camacho has opted to give him some competitive action in tomorrow's Ray Bass Handicap.

It will be a shock if the Star Cottage gelding manages to score under Lindsay Charnock, and a better bet looks to be nap selection Noufari.

Trained by Reg Hollinshead, Noufari has twice finished second in this race, in 1995 and last year.

He must have a great chance of making it third time lucky, having won three of his four starts on the sand since the turn of the year. Smart apprentice Adrian McCarthy has the mount.

Tomorrow's programme opens with the Margaret Bass Maiden Selling Stakes, for two-year-olds, and Brian Rothwell, successful 12 months ago, with Jackerin, could again take the honours with County Times.

A son of the speedy Timeless Times, County Times is bred to be pretty sharp and, in a race where there is no form to go on, he could prove the answer.

Tomorrow's feature race is the £20,000 Worthington Spring Mile, which is open to horses which fail to make the cut in the showpiece Lincoln Handicap on Saturday.

It might well be a case of lightning striking in the same place twice, because Artful Dance, successful in this 'consolation' race last year, has good prospects of doing so again.

Trained by Mikey Heaton-Ellis, Artful Dane did not add to his opening victory last season, but ended the campaign with a fine race at Newmarket in November when fourth to Consort, beaten less than two lengths.

The Hepworth Plumbing Handicap, looks wide-open. Punters could do worse than to follow Jeffrey Anotherred, the mount of Tony Clark.

Formerly a useful two-year-old Jeffrey Anotherred suffered at the hands of the handicapper last year and changed stables. He ran well on his only outing for the Darlington yard of Michael Dodds when sixth of 22 to Southern Dominion on this course in November, and could be a fair money-spinner this term.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.