Pieter Brueghel, who last month provided his North Yorkshire owner with his first-winner at York after more than 40 years of trying, heads to Haydock tomorrow evening with every chance of adding to his scoresheet.

Trained near Easingwold by David Nicholls, Pieter Brughel carries the colours of David Faulkner, who lives near Helperby, and who has owned horses for as long as he cares to remember.

The gelding's York success, a memorable victory for Faulkner, was achieved in gritty style and the five-year-old has since finished a good third in a valuable handicap at Hamilton, won by his stablemate Blackheath.

In good form, Pieter Brughel can continue to give Faulkner some fun by winning the MTB Group Classified Stakes. Robert Winston, his regular rider, has the mount.

Hambleton trainer Kevin Ryan has a high opinion of Distinctly Game, who gets my vote in the Countrywide Freight Nursery over five furlongs.

A winner at York on his latest start in June, Distinctly Game beat several subsequent winners that day. Although he is high enough in the weights tomorrow, his proven class should stand him in good stead.

Geraldine Rees, who is based near Preston, does well with her small string and Newcorp Lad can provide her with a winner in the Sproston Anniversary Handicap.

The four-year-old finished a good second at Nottingham last Friday and would hardly need to improve on that form to go one better in this one-mile event. Tony Culhane again has the mount.

Sheriff Hutton apprentice Paul Mulrennan, seen to good effect when winning on Toni Alcala at Newcastle yesterday, can further add to his tally aboard my Nap selection Magic Combination in the North West Racing Club Silver Jubilee Handicap.

Len Lungo's gelding may be fast approaching the twilight of his career, but he has been in cracking form on the Flat this summer and gained a deserved success, after a series of near-misses, over this course-and-distance last month.

The jumpers will be in action at Sedgefield tomorrow afternoon, Al Mabrook, trained by Nicky Richards, will be a tough nut to crack in the Betfred Handicap Hurdle.

The nine-year-old goes particularly well on this course and has proved a wonderful money-spinner in the last 12 months for Cumbrian owner Richard Hale, who is bettter known as agent for jockeys such as Robert Winston and Paul Hanagan on the Flat and Tony Dobbin and Brian Harding over jumps.

Dobbin can lift the Ramside Event Catering Juvenile Novices' Hurdle aboard Quarry Bank.

Trained by Martin Todhunter, the three-year-old performed well to finish second on his hurdling bow at Market Rasen three weeks ago. He looks capable of stepping-up on that display.

Micky Hammond has his horses in good form and the Middleham trainer has good prospects of a Middleham double with Karo de Vindecy (4.30), a recent course winner, and the promsing Freedom Now (5.00).

Friday's tips:

Haydock

6.10 Countdown, 6.40 Distinctly Game, 7.10 Pays d'Amour, 7.40 Pieter Brueghel, 8.10 Newcorp Lad, 8.40 Magic Combination (Nap).

Sedgefield

2.30 Quarry Island, 3.00 Ambushed, 3.30 My Ace, 4.00 Al Mabrook, 4.30 Karo De Vindecy, 5.00 Freedom Now.

Tomorrow's other meetings are at Lingfield (afternoon, Flat), Newmarket (evening, Flat), and Worcester (afternoon, National Hunt).

Updated: 12:25 Thursday, August 05, 2004