With the round course, most notably the newly-laid home-turn, unraceable after the recent heavy rain, it's an all-sprint card at Ripon tomorrow, with no race being staged over more than six furlongs.

Such a restricted programme is a far cry from Sandown, where a high-class mixed card is highlighted by the £150,000 Betfred Gold Cup, the last major jumps race of the campaign, which ends tomorrow, and the £90,000 betfred.com Mile, a Group 2 race on the Flat.

All eyes will be on the Gold Cup, not least because it could mean the difference between victory and defeat in the thrilling championship battle for the trainers' title being fought out by Martin Pipe and Paul Nicholls.

Pipe, the defending champion and bidding for his 15th championship, intends to field seven runners in the Gold Cup. But Nicholls, who will have three horses, could still come out on top.

Inca Trail, a quirky, but talented performer, won on this course in March and is thought by Nicholls to be the right type for this race, formerly best-known as the Whitbread Gold Cup.

Ruby Walsh rides Inca Trail and will be keener than ever to win ollowing his agonizing slender defeat on the Nicholls-trained Cornish Rebel in last Saturday's Scottish Grand National.

Pipe led Nicholls by less than £19,000 before today's racing, so every runner and every race counts.

The 'big two' will also be strongly represented in the £100,000 Betfred Celebration Chase, which I expect Pipe to win with Well Chief, who might have the edge over Azertiyuop.

The latter was clearly not himself in the Queen Mother Champion Chase at Cheltenham last month, even before a bad mistake seemed to wrench his back.

Azertiyuop has the beating of Well Chief on form previous to Cheltenham, but on this occasion Well Chief may have his measure.

The betfred.com Mile sees Sir Michael Stoute's Stream Of Gold, impressive winner of the Lincoln Handicap at Doncaster last month, stepping-up to Group 2 company to take on the likes of Norse Dancer. Sir Michael knows a good horse when he sees one and Stream Of Gold is napped to win again

At Ripon, the Mark Johnston-trained Mafaheem could be hard to beat in the Ripon Future Sprint Stars Handicap. Narrowly denied on his reappearance at Ripon last week, Mafaheem, a winner at York last October, looks a useful performer.

Tomorrow's tips

Sandown

2.05 Broken Knights, 2.35 Well Chief, 3.15 Inca Trail, 3.45 Stream Of Gold (Nap), 4.20 Quiff, 4.50 Cimyla, 5.25 Torrid Kentavr.

Ripon

1.50 Tagula Bay, 2.20 Mafaheem, 2.55 Bow Bridge, 3.30 Frascati, 4.00 Mecca's Mate, 4.30 La Vie Est Belle.

Tomorrow's other meetings are at Haydock, Leicester, Market Rasen and Wolverhampton.

This evening's Newton Abbott meeting has been given the go-ahead after a morning inspection.

Updated: 10:53 Friday, April 22, 2005