Paradise Isle, runner-up in all her three races and narrowly beaten at York on Evening Press Sunday Raceday, seeks to break her duck at Pontefract tomorrow.

Trained at Newmarket by Chris Wall, the two-year-old goes for the Renault Traffic Van Median Auction Maiden Stakes over five furlongs.

Paradise Isle made a bold bid on her recent outing to Knavesmire and forced the red-hot favourite Philharmonic to pull out all the stops in a photo-finish.

A reproduction of that form tomorrow should be good enough for Paradise Isle to open her winning account. George Baker again has the mount.

Kevin Darley has good prospects of landing the feature race, the £10,000 Phil Bull Conditions Stakes, on Harlestone Grey.

John Dunlop's Sussex raider is the class act in this field and would only need to produce the level of form he showed at Chester two outings ago when he just failed to concede 17lb to Sun Bird, the subsequent Ebor Handicap runner-up, to run away with this prize.

Darley can also lift the Renault Van Range Fillies' Handicap on Yomalo.

Rae Guest's three-year-old has found a rich vein of form lately and has won her last two starts. A hat-trick looks on the cards.

The first day of the three-day Western Meeting is staged at Ayr, where on Saturday the £100,000 Tote Ayr Gold Cup takes pride of place.

The highlight tomorrow is the Christine Sadler Designer Harry Rosebery Stakes, in which Nights Cross makes a quick reappearance, following a splendid effort in defeat at Doncaster last weekend.

Mick Channon's sprinter finished a close-up third to Howick Falls in the Flying Childers Stakes.

Ian Semple, very much a Scottish trainer to note, can win the Tote Bigger Winnings Rated Handicap with Maktavish.

The four-year-old caught the eye when finishing fifth in a competitive handicap at Haydock on his latest start.

Maktavish looks primed to return to winning form here and is awarded my Nap vote.

Rainstorm is fancied to get back on top in the Sidney Devine Amateur Riders' Handicap.

The eight-year-old, in great form during the summer, was denied a hat-trick on hatest outing but has since had a six-week break. He looks sure to go well in this modest contest over an ideal distance.

The Gael Suzuki Showcase Handicap looks a good opportunity for Misternando.

Mick Channon's three-year-old has stacked up a whole sequence of wins and looks capable of defying a 5lb penalty against his three rivals.

Thursday's tips:

PONTEFRACT

2.05 Escalade, 2.35 Paradise Isle, 3.05 Mistral Sky, 3.35 Yomalo, 4.05 Harlestone Grey, 4.35 Gallant Boy, 5.05 Qabas.

AYR

2.15 Groomer, 2.45 Maktavish (Nap), 3.15 Misternando, 3.45 Nights Cross, 4.15 Apex, 4.45 Miss Mytton, 5.15 Rainstorm.

Tomorrow's other meeting is at Yarmouth.

Updated: 12:11 Wednesday, September 17, 2003