NEWMARKET trainer Mark Tompkins, with half-a-dozen York winners in the bag already this season, can play a starring role on the sixth Evening Press Sunday Raceday on Knavesmire tomorrow.

Tompkins saddles Connect in the feature event on the bumper seven-race card, the £20,000 Smith Brothers Handicap, and the eight-year-old is napped to defy top-weight in the hands of smart apprentice Saleem Golam, who has made a big name for himself this season.

Connect, who has a strong liking for York, won on this course in July and turned out again the following day to finish a gallant second to La Curaracha, who spectacularly enhanced that form when winning the Group 1 Nunthorpe Stakes on Knavesmire at last month's Ebor Festival.

Connect also ran at the Ebor meeting last month and, although finishing out of the money in eighth place in a field of 20, he was beaten less than three lengths by the winner Fictional.

With the Tompkins stable in flying form, Connect has plenty going for him in this six-furlongs dash. He should take plenty of beating.

Local trainers love to have winners at this meeting and Richard Fahey can get on the scoresheet with Sunday City in the FR Pulleyn Apprentice Handicap.

The four-year-old has run well in defeat in all his three races since joining Malton-based Fahey this season and the drop back to an extended ten furlongs tomorrow is expected to provide him with an overdue win. The experienced Paddy Mathers takes the mount.

Fahey also has good prospects with Whitethorne in the Relaxsan Handicap, but the vote in this wide-open 20-runner cavalry charge goes to Mister Sweets, trained at Warthill, just outside the city, by Declan Carroll.

The mount of useful apprentice Danny Tudhope, Mister Sweets ran a cracking race to finish sixth to Sir Nod here last week over six furlongs. Tomorrow's seven furlongs will suit him even better.

Norton trainer Neville Bycroft can also make his presence felt with Tedstale Mac in the Monks Cross Shopping Park Handicap.

The six-year-old has been running well of late over sprint distances and the return to a mile here could well work the oracle by helping him to resume winning ways.

The Blackwell Ox Inn Nursery is the opening race on the card, and James Street is not one to underestimate.

Although she has so far failed to trouble the judge in three starts in maiden company, John Best's juvenile showed definite signs of ability when finishing fifth at Folkestone last time. It would come as no surprise to see her raising her game tomorrow on her handicap bow and she could pop up at rewarding odds.

Metropolitan Man promises to be a popular choice in the DRS For Sony Maiden Auction Stakes.

The once-raced two-year-old failed by little more than half-a-length to make a winning debut last month at Newmarket, where he finished a promising third. He would not need to improve much on that effort to promote himself to number one this time.

The One Call Insurance Premier Claiming Stakes is not a race on which to risk the mortgage, but Jazz Scene has stronger credentials than most and is fancied to waltz home on behalf of trainer Mick Channon and North Yorkshire jockey Tony Culhane.

Sunday's tips:

York

2-10 James Street, 2-45 Jazz Scene, 3-20 Mister Sweets, 3-55 Tedstale Mac, 4-30 Connect (NAP), 5-00 Metropolitan Man, 5-30 Sunday City

Worcester

2-20 Classical Ben, 2-55 Never, 3-30 Lake Merced, 4-05 Wilfred, 4-40 Tudor King, 5-10 Sharaab.

Tomorrow's other race meeting is at Fontwell (afternoon, Flat).

Updated: 09:06 Saturday, September 03, 2005