Suzanne France, whose riding career was brought to a dramatic halt by a dreadful fall at Redcar in the summer of 2007, recently sent out her first winner as a trainer from her North Yorkshire base when Stamp Duty prevailed at Wolverhampton.

The gelding returns to the same venue this afternoon and bids to double France’s score in little more than a fortnight.

Hitting the ground at high speed in a sprint handicap, which France did on that ill-fated day at Redcar, left her with a severe head injury and impaired vision.

But it did not dent her enthusiasm for racing and Stamp Duty’s success earlier this month was a special moment for her after so many dark days during her lengthy recuperation.

The Play Blackjack At bluesq.com Handicap is the target for Stamp Duty, one of only three horses France is training at Norton. Tackling an extended mile, the same trip over which he won, he promises to make a bold bid in the hands of Malton jockey Duran Fentiman.

Mark Johnston saddles Lionrock in the Ringside Conference Suite – 700 Theatre Style Maiden Stakes and Joe Fanning’s mount is fancied to open his winning account.

Although a beaten favourite on his reappearance at Lingfield, he was beaten by little more than three lengths into third place over seven furlongs, which may have been on the sharp side for him.

It is significant that Johnston has now stepped him up to an extended nine furlongs. Provided newcomers from the Richard Hannon and Marco Botti stables are nothing out of the ordinary, Lionrock has solid winning prospects for his Middleham handler.

Illustrious Forest (4.00) can make it two-from-two this year for John Mackie, who has booked up-and-coming apprentice Jack Duern to do the steering.

Successful here three weeks ago on his reappearance when beating Royal Alcor by three parts of a length, Illustrious Forest was following up a run away win on the same course in late December. He looks an improving horse and with Duern’s 7lb claim effectively erasing his hike in the ratings, Illustrious Forest is napped to oblige again.

Also worth noting are Chris Dwyer’s in-form Patriotic (4.30), who is chasing a hat-trick of wins, and the promising Duke Of Clarence (5.30), who hails from the Hannon yard.

Tomorrow at Lingfield, the nap vote goes to Complex (2.10) in the opening apprentices’ handicap. Trained by David Evans and the mount of the accomplished Matthew Cosham, the three-year-old is nothing if not consistent.

While Evans and Cosham have another good chance with Anginola (2.40) in the seller, Johnston and Fanning also have double prospects with Belle Josephine (3-10), who has done little wrong in her two starts, and Alkadi (4.10), a well-bred newcomer, who would not need to be anything more than an average performer to make a winning debut.

Racing selections

Wolverhampton (today)

2.30 Greenhead High, 3.00 Steelcut, 3.30 Derivatives, 4.00 Illustrious Forest (NAP), 4.30 Patriotic, 5.00 Lionrock, 5.30 Duke Of Clarence, 6.00 Stamp Duty.

Today’s other meeting

Plumpton.

Lingfield (tomorrow)

2.10 Complex (NAP), 2.40 Anginola, 3.10 Belle Josephine, 3.40 Katmai River, 4.10 Alkadi, 4.40 Traveller’s Tales, 5.10 Gallantry.

Tomorrow’s other meetings

Catterick and Leicester.