Racing returns to the home of the Derby tomorrow for the first time this year and Musawama is fancied to land the race designed to be a stepping stone to the premier Classic.

While it is probably doubtful that the £30,000 Investec Derby Trial will have much of a bearing on the Derby itself, it is still a race worth winning and the John Gosden-trained Musawama will certainly not fail through lack of fitness at this early stage of the turf campaign.

The three-year-old has won both his races this term on the all-weather at Lingfield and Kempton and looks to be a horse firmly on the upgrade. The fact Gosden has elected to run in this conditions event, rather than take advantage of an 81-rating in handicaps, suggests that he believes Musawama to be up to the task. Richard Hills has the mount.

Harlestone Times, who was lightly-raced last season, can kick-off his new term on a winning note in the Investec Great Metropolitan Handicap.

The John Dunlop-trained gelding won two of his three starts in 2010 at Goodwood and Brighton. He is plainly talented as well as fragile and he should give Ted Durcan a good ride.

In the £35,000 Investec City And Surburban Handicap, Richard Fahey saddles his recent Pontefract winner Ingleby Spirit, who should go well under Paul Hanagan. But the Malton raider may struggle to cope with Taqleed, who was the red-hot favourite for the Lincoln Handicap at Doncaster only to be pulled out at the last minute after conditions underfoot were considered too quick for him to be risked.

Taqleed won two of his three races last season and looked a horse with the potential to develop into a Pattern race performer this year. He promises to be hard to beat.

David Nicholls saddles no fewer than four runners in the opening Investec Asset Management Handicap, and although his jockey son Adrian rides Silaah, my vote goes to Indian Trail, who is well drawn and a previous winner over course and distance.

He’s 11 years old now, and is not the horse he once was, but the Nicholls team are in terrific form.

At Newcastle’s evening meeting, proceedings get underway with the European Breeders’ Fund Novice Stakes, which brings together three previous winners, among them the Kevin Ryan-trained Hamza and Richard Fahey’s Lily’s Angel, who scored on their respective debuts at Musselburgh and Beverley.

There should be little to choose between the pair, but marginal preference is for the filly Lily’s Angel, who receives a handy weight allowance from Hamza and is fancied to take advantage in the hands of Tony Hamilton.

Tim Walford, from Sheriff Hutton, has good prospects with Hail Tiberius in the Coopers Marquees Handicap. The four-year-old ran a sound first race of the season when third in an amateur riders’ race at Doncaster.

Also worth noting are Munbaher (6.35) and the speedy Choc’a’moca (7.05), who is awarded the nap vote.

Racing selections

Epsom

2.00 Indian Trail, 2.35 Harlestone Times, 3.10 Musawama, 3.45 Taqleed, 4.20 Barney Rebel, 4.50 Greenflash.

Newcastle

5.05 Lily’s Angel, 5.35 The Galloping Shoe, 6.05 Hail Tiberius, 6.35 Munbaher, 7.05 Choc’a’moca (NAP), 7.35 Trading, 8.05 Vetvey.

Tomorrow’s other meetings

Hereford, Kempton and Southwell.

Today’s meetings

Bath, Fontwell, Pontefract, Southwell and Wolverhampton.