Somnus, the star of Tim Easterby's Great Habton yard, makes his eagerly awaited reappearance tomorrow as York's exciting 2004 programme gets underway.

The mount of regular rider Ted Durcan, Somnus is one of 15 runners in the opening-day showpiece, the £100,000 Duke Of York Heathstead Homes Stakes over six furlongs.

Winner of last year's Haydock Park Sprint Trophy, a Group 1 affair, Somnus consquently has a 7lb penalty to carry in this Group 2 race, which means he will be conceding weight to every one of his rivals, which include his talented stable-mate Fayr Jag.

On the plus side, the ease in the ground - officially good to soft, good in places - offers Somnus perfect conditions to display his sprinting prowess.

With a cracking line-up, which also includes Arakan from Sir Michael Stoute's stable, the flying Airwave, and Monsieur Bond, trained by Bryan Smart at Hambleton and an easy winner in Ireland last month, the best six-furlong race of the season so far is confidently predicted.

Somnus is not going to find it easy with his Group 1 penalty, but he gets my vote all the same.

The £65,000 Tattersalls Musidora Stakes has attracted a six-strong field of potentially high-class fillies, and Glen Innes, the mount of Kieren Fallon, is fancied to come out on top.

A debut winner at Newcastle, David Loder's useful prospect was unlucky not to follow-up in Listed company at Ascot a fortnight ago, failing by just a short-head to reel-in Shady Reflection, after meeting trouble in running two furlongs out.

That race was over a mile, and Glen Innes is open to further improvement over this extended ten-and-a-half furlongs.

She is expected to have the edge over Godolphin's representative Punctillous, the mount of Frankie Dettori, who is a classy performer, but who is without a previous run this season.

The Newton Investment Rated Handicap opens the programme and Thyolo, the mount of Johnny Murtagh, has excellent prospects.

Narrowly beaten by Master Marvel at Newmarket last month, Thyolo looks sure to have benefitted from that outing. Furthermore, tomorrow's longer trip should also suit him.

Ryedale jockey Paul Hanagan can lay claim to victory in the williamhillpoker.com Handicap aboard the William Haggas-trained Bygone Days, a decisive winner at Kempton on his reappearance.

Gold Ring should go well in the Arriva Trains Handicap over a mile and a half.

Toby Balding's gelding did not quite enjoy the run of the race at Hamilton last time when second to King Revo. Well worth another chance, he is napped to go one better here.

The Garbutt & Elliott Colin Foster Novice Stakes looks a good opportunity for the speedy Justaquestion to fulfill the promise of her Warwick victory.

The largely unraced brigade who face the starter in theripleycollection.com Racing Jewellery Maiden Stakes includes the well-regarded Blue Kandora, trained by the bang in form Michael Jarvis.

Tuesday's tips:

York

1.30 Thyolo, 2.00 Bygone Days, 2.30 Glen Innes, 3.00 Somnus, 3.35 Gold Ring (Nap), 4.10 Justaquestion, 4.45 Blue Kandora.

Hereford

1.50 Dragon King, 2.20 Greenfield, 2.50 Dominican Monk, 3.25 Guard Duty, 4.00 No Shenanigans, 4.35 Bonny Grey, 5.10 Quetal.

Tomorrow's other meetings are at Huntingdon, Newton Abbot, Wolverhampton.

Tom O'Ryan's Nap for this afternoon's racing was: Just One Smile (3.25 at Redcar).

Updated: 12:52 Monday, May 10, 2004