Michael Dods, who gained the biggest success of his training career when John O'Groats won the Ayr Silver Cup last month, can scale even loftier heights with the same horse at York tomorrow on the final day of the Knavesmire season.

Darlington-based Dods saddles his in-form gelding in the £30,000 Coral Eurobet Sprint Trophy and Fergal Lynch's mount is fancied to take all the beating.

John O'Groats, successful in his last two starts, is a horse on top of his game, as he proved at Ayr when getting the better of Blue Velvet to record a memorable victory for his trainer.

The four-year-old races off a 7lb higher mark tomorrow, but it may not be enough to stop him completing a notable hat-trick of wins in this six-furlongs dash.

The other two principal races at York tomorrow are over the same distance.

The £35,000 John Smith's Sprint Championship Final Showcase Handicap looks a particularly trappy affair. My preference is for Blue Velvet, who is closely matched on form with John O'Groats.

Dean Ivory's charge preceded her sterling effort in the Silver Cup by winning a five-furlongs handicap at Ayr 24 hours earlier. Fergus Sweeney, in the saddle on that occasion, again has the mount.

Tim Easterby, who won the big two-year-old race at Redcar last Saturday with Somnus, has good prospects of clinching the juvenile honours again with Cumbrian Venture in the Newton Fund Managers Rockingham Stakes.

Robert Winston's mount, a good second in the Roses Stakes at York'a August meeting, has since run a blinder in the St Leger Yearling Stakes at Doncaster, finishing sixth to his stablemate Somnus after being poorly drawn on the unfavoured far side.

The form of that Doncaster race has worked out particuarly well and Cumbrian Venture has excellent prospects of returning to the winning trail here.

King Flyer, a winner at Redcar last time, and successful on Knavesmire last season, makes appeal in the opening Coldstream Guards Handicap, while the in-form Bond Diamond should go well under Jimmy Fortune in the Heathstead Homes Handicap.

At Ascot, Speed Cop can triumph in the Willmott Dixon Cornwallis Stakes.

Ian Balding's high-class filly had the worst of the draw when failing by little more than a length to beat Wunders Dream in the Flying Childers Stakes at Doncaster last month. She is my Nap selection to step up on that performance and finish her first season on a high.

Mark Johnston's mare Love Everlasting came good at Ascot a fortnight ago and has good prospects of obliging again for Kevin Darley in the £50,000 Princess Royal Wilmott Dixon Stakes.

Saturday's tips:

York

2.05 King Flyer, 2.35 Cumbrian Venture, 3.05 Blue Velvet, 3.40 John O'Groats, 4.10 Bond Diamond, 4.45 Rahaf.

Ascot

1.50 Puma, 2.20 Big Bad Bob, 2.50 Speed Cop (Nap), 3.25 Love Everlasting, 3.55 Trace Clip, 4.30 Starfan, 5.05 Waverley.

Updated: 12:00 Friday, October 11, 2002