Acomb, astutely placed by York trainer Noel Wilson to win his last three races, heads to Catterick tomorrow with every chance of extending his sequence to four.

The Gala Casinos Handicap over seven furlongs is the target for the five-year-old, who is expected to take plenty of catching.

Warthill-based Wilson bought Acomb out of Mick Easterby's Sheriff Hutton stable last autumn and has had no cause for regrets.

Successful at Thirsk earlier in the month, the gelding followed-up at Ayr and completed his hat-trick at Epsom a week ago.

Clearly at the peak of his powers, Acomb, a bold front-runner, should find this flat, sharp track very much to his liking and Paul Benson's 7lb claim will more than offset the 6lb penalty the local hope is set to carry.

The successs story of Acomb, incidentally, could not have been better timed. Nikki Wilson, the trainer's amateur rider-wife, was injured in a heavy fall at Ripon early this month and had to be airlifted to hospital, where she spent a couple of weeks recovering.

Despite a fracture to the bone at the back of her neck and her face being heavily bruised in the spill, Wilson, a mother of two, is now nicely on the road to recovery, which is a huge relief to her husband and family, and all her many friends.

Hopefully, Acomb can continue to play his part in the raising of spirits by scoring again tomorrow.

Tommy Smith is fancied to have the edge in the Project Management Scotland Handicap.

It is some time since John Wainwright's sprinter got his head in front, but he just failed to hold Strensall at Newcastle last week and is fancied to get his revenge on that penalised winner here. Paul Mulrennan has the mount.

Alabama Twist is napped to come out on top in the We Race Again Next Wednesday Maiden Stakes.

The three-year-old has shown enough in three maiden races and a handicap to suggest he is up to winning a modest event such as this, and the booking of Tony Culhane by trainer William Haggas brings together a successful team.

Sovereign State can not be overlooked in the Stockton Handicap.

The eight-year-old, trained at Bishop Auckland by David Thompson, won this corresponding event 12 months ago.

Sovereign State has been running respectably in similar company of late and deserves attention on a course that suits him well.

Fair Rosamond, who showed plenty of promise on her first outing at Goodwood, where she finished third to Mixed Blessing, should be sharp enough to take care of her rivals in the European Breeders Fund Maiden Fillies' Stakes.

The opening leg of Perth's two-day meeting presents Tony Dobbin with a good chance of enjoying a lucrative afternoon.

Dobbin has fighting chances aboard Manoubi (2.50), Emperor Ross (3.50), Possextown (4.20) and Ben Britten (4.50).

Wednesday's tips

Catterick

2.30 Confidential Lady; 3.00 Tommy Smith; 3.30 Acomb; 4.00 Fair Rosamond; 4.30 Alabama Twist (NAP); 5.00 Sovereign State.

Perth

2.20 Arctic Moss; 2.50 Manoubi; 3.20 Kyle Of Lochalsh; 3.50 Emperor Ross; 4.20 Possextown; 4.50 Ben Britten.

Tomorrow's other meetings are at: Chepstow (evening, Flat) and Worcester (afternoon, National Hunt). Warwick's Flat evening meeting tomorrow was called off yesterday (course still waterlogged after torrential rain last Friday).

Updated: 12:10 Tuesday, June 28, 2005