Jamie Spencer, who rode the Kevin Ryan-trained Balthazar's Gift to a major success in France yesterday, heads to Scotland tomorrow and has every chance of landing the main race on the card aboard Dancing Bay.

Musselburgh's £30,000 totesport Willie Park Stakes is the target for the Nicky Henderson-trained stayer, who ran a cracking race at Newmarket recently when finishing fourth to Cover Up in the Group 3 Jockey Club Cup.

Ideally suited by a little bit of ease in the ground, Dancing Bay should find conditions perfect at Musselburgh, where good ground is forecast but with a strong chance of showers.

Spencer, who will be crowned champion jockey for the first time at Doncaster on Saturday, enjoyed a sizeable payday yesterday aboard Balthazar's Gift, on whom he deputised for the suspended Neil Callan.

The juvenile, successful at York last month, landed the Group 2 Criterium de Maisons-Laffitte, which carried a first prize of more than £76,000. The victory added to a tremendous year for Ryan, whose Amadeus Wolf has won the Gimcrack and Middle Park Stakes, not forgetting Palace Episode's recent success in the Racing Post Trophy at Doncaster, Ryan's second Group 1 success of the campaign.

Golden Asha makes plenty of appeal in the totetrifecta Handicap, over Mussel-burgh's five-furlongs course.

Successful at Beverley and Pontefract, Golden Asha was denied a hat-trick on her latest visit to the latter track by the potentially high-class Reverence, who has since gone on to score at Doncaster.

Fergal Lynch gets on well with Golden Asha, a filly with a devastating late burst of speed, and he is fancied to ensure that Neville Callaghan's Newmarket raider has a worthwhile journey north.

Royal Melbourne should not be overlooked in the toteexacta Handicap. Julie Camacho's gelding is not the easiest of horses to win with, but he has been running well lately and his fourth-placed effort at Newcastle on his most recent start suggests he has good prospects of doing even better here.

In the £12,500 totepool Handicap, Spear Thistle, trained by John Gosden, makes plenty of appeal after some solid recent efforts in defeat, including a creditable fourth to Diamond Circle at Newmarket last time. He is awarded the nap vote.

At Haydock, Top Style can come out on top in the williamhillpoker.com Handicap Hurdle.

The gelding has done well on the Flat for Geoff Harker this season and looked set to make a bold bid when he was brought down four from home at Kelso on his latest start. Previously successful at Perth in September, Top Style can make his presence felt here under smart claimer William Kennedy.

Thursday's tips

Musselburgh

1.00 Best Double; 1.30 Golden Shadow; 2.00 Navigation; 2.30 Royal Melbourne; 3.05 Dancing Bay; 3.40 Golden Asha; 4.10 Spear Thistle (nap).

Haydock

1.10 Circumspect; 1.40 Top Style; 2.10 Halexy; 2.45 Zaffaran Express; 3.20 Avitta; 3.50 L'Antartique; 4.20 Oakapple Express.

Tomorrow's other meeting is at Towcester.

Updated: 11:48 Wednesday, November 02, 2005