After today's Derby meeting at Epsom, Perth takes over the mantle of providing the principal racing action tomorrow.

Perth stages the richest of the day's three meetings, a fact not lost on Norton trainer Brian Ellison, who I fancy to have two winners.

Transit, a winner for Ellison on the course a couple of weeks ago, lines up over the same distance of two miles to bid for a double in the £15,000 totesport Handicap Hurdle.

Transit, a keen-going individual, who started life as a Flat-racer with Henry Cecil, had ten lengths to spare on his latest outing.

Not surprisingly, Ellison has again booked Len Lungo's smart claimer Gary Berridge to take the mount. An encore is on the cards.

Ellison can also lift the Famous Grouse Novices' Chase with Shayadi, the mount of his stable jockey Vinnie Keane.

A pretty decent hurdler, Shayadi took well to fences at Sedgefield last month, making a winning debut over the major obstacles at the main expense of Spectrometer, the odds-on favourite, who was beaten eight lengths into second place.

Shayadi, an exciting recruit, looks to have all the right credentials to make a name for himself as a chaser and is expected to fulfill his Sedgefield promise in this two-miler.

The feature race on the card is the £30,000 Perth Gold Cup. This handicap chase, sponsored by Tennents Velvet City, has attracted a useful field.

This includes Irish raider Glynn Dingle, the mount of top jockey Ruby Walsh, who has three rides on the card for County Meath trainer Tony Martin.

But the visitors may have to play second fiddle to the home team, namely Kinross trainer Lucinda Russell, whose intention of keeping this valuable prize on Scottish soil is summed-up by the name of her runner, Strong Resolve.

Tough and consistent, the eight-year-old, ran in Ireland on his latest start, taking in the big Punchestown meeting at the end of April, when he finished a creditable fourth to Liscannor Lad.

Peter Buchanan, a very capable 7lb claimer, who scored on Russell's Catch The Perk at Hexham earlier this week, takes the mount on Strong Resolve tomorrow and is fancied to gain the biggest success of his career on this bold-jumping performer.

Little Big Horse can show his rivals the way home in the Glenvarigill Honda Handicap Hurdle.

Sue Smith's gelding is nothing if not versatile and, after making a succcessful transition to fences, he returns to hurdles here with every chance of getting back in the winning groove.

A creditable second to Lik Wood Power at Wetherby last time over two-and-a-half miles, Little Big Horse will relish the step back up to three miles tomorrow.

At Brighton, Loch Laird is napped to come up trumps at the age of nine in the Donatello Ristorante Handicap over seven furlongs.

A course and distance winner, George Baker's mount was far from disgraced over an inadequate six furlongs at Folkestone last time. He is capable of rewarding adventurous backers in this run-of-the-mill event.

Tomorrow's Tips:

Perth

2.30 Fair Question, 3.00 Inver Lady, 3.30 Shayadi, 4.00 Transit, 4.30 Strong Resolve, 5.00 Little Big Horse, 5.35 Bertie Arms.

Brighton

2.20 Queen's Glory, 2.50 Loch Laird (Nap), 3.20 Wychbury, 3.50 Short Change, 4.20 St Francis Wood, 4.50 Boanerges.

Tomorrow's other meeting is at Stratford.

Updated: 10:34 Saturday, June 05, 2004