Golden Nun has adopted the winning habit this season and Tim Easterby's tough-as-teak mare is taken to gain her third success of the campaign in the feature race at York tomorrow.

The £50,000 Group 3 Cuisine de France Summer Stakes is the target for the four-year-old, who will again be partnered by Robert Winston, who has established a splendid rapport with her this year.

Winston steered Golden Nun to a thrilling victory in a Listed race at Nottingham early in the season and was also on board when she gained a Group 3 success at Cork in Ireland last month.

Conceding weight all round won't be easy, but Golden Nun is in the form of her life at present and any softening of the ground due to the inclement weather will not inconvenience her.

The speedy Ringmoor Down, runner-up to Orientor at Sandown last Saturday, and Ruby Rocket, who ran a blinder to chase home Royal Millennium and Somnus at Newcastle a fortnight ago, look to be Golden Nun's two principal dangers.

Easterby can also make his presence felt in the Tulip Bacon Rates Handicap with Flighty Fellow.

Willie Supple's mount has been running well this summer and already has a win to his name at Beverley. Softening ground will not cause him any problems and, with only six rivals, he has every chance of coming out on top.

Ptarmigan Ridge is fancied to show his rivals a clean pair of heels in the opening race, the the Grampian Country Foods Group Handicap, over five furlongs.

Trained in Scotland by Linda Perratt, the eight-year-old, a winner at Chester in May, ran a fine race to finish sixth in the Gosforth Park Cup two weeks ago. The likelihood of the mud flying on Knavesmire by tomorrow will be in his favour.

Loves Travelling gets my Nap vote in the John West Tuna Rated Handicap over a mile and a half.

Luca Cumani's charge ran out a gutsy winner of the Cumberland Plate on his latest start and, as that was only his second outing of the campaign, further improvement is likely.

Settrington trainer John Quinn gives York a miss with Fantasy Believer and instead takes his smart sprinter to Ascot for the Rendevous Casino Rated Handicap.

A cosy winner at Newbury last week, Fantasy Believer is fancied to follow-up under a 3lb penalty here and book his place in the Stewards' Cup at Goodwood at the end of the month. Darryll Holland, who gets on well with him, again has the mount on Fantasy Believer, a course and distance winner.

Friday's tips:

York

2.00 Talbot Avenue, 2.35 Tedstale, 3.05 Golden Nun, 3.40 Loves Travelling (Nap), 4.15 Able Baker Charlie, 4.50 Masquerader.

Ascot

2.15 Tranquil Sky, 2.45 Colour Wheel, 3.15 Fantasy Believer, 3.50 Penzance, 4.25 Makrama, 5.00 Hasaiyda.

Chester

6.50 Red Top, 7.20 Four Amigos, 7.50 Bigalos Bandit, 8.20 Smiddy Hill, 8.50 Barking Mad, 9.20 Zuma.

Tomorrow's other meetings are at Chepstow (evening, Flat) and Southwell (afternoon, Flat).

Updated: 12:32 Thursday, July 08, 2004