After the thrills and spills and vibrant excitement of Saturday's Grand National meeting at Aintree, thoughts quickly turn to flat-racing tomorrow with the start of the three-day Craven meeting at Newmarket.

The Shadwell Stud Nell Gwynn Stakes immediately puts the spotlight on several three-year-old fillies with Classic pretensions, none more so than Circle Of Gold, the mount of Jimmy Fortune.

A filly with a huge reputation last season, Circle Of Gold won two races in very pleasing fashion but came unstuck at Newmarket in September when finishing sixth to Wannabe Grand in the Cheveley Park Stakes.

Although out of the money that day, Circle Of Gold was beaten only two lengths and she remains a potential star for her second season. She can prove her class by scoring tomorrow.

Eric Alston has his horses in excellent form, and the Preston trainer, on the mark at Hamilton on Saturday with Unshaken, can lift the NGK Spark Plugs Abernant Stakes for the second successive year with Tedburrow.

This admirable sprinter confirmed his well-being with a fluent win at Doncaster last month. Michael Hills, in the saddle that day, has the mount again tomorrow and can steer nap selection Tedburrow to another Listed-race triumph.

The William Hill Showcase Handicap offers Billy McCaw the opportunity to start the campaign on a winning note.

Paul Cole's three-year-old ended last season in the same manner, needing only to be pushed out at to score at Epsom in August. Not seen out again throughout the autumn, Billy McCaw can overcome his long absence in the hands of Kieren Fallon.

Maiden races at this time of the year tend to be something of a nightmare with so little form to go on and, at a meeting like this, so many well-bred horses with stacks of potential.

The betting market is often the best guide, but that, of course, is not known until minutes before the race. At this juncture, it is purely a calculated assessment, and Ramruma showed enough in her two starts last season for Henry Cecil to suggest a big fun in the April Maiden Stakes, coincidentally won by the same trainer last season with Capri.

The Stretchworth Maiden Stakes over six furlongs offers the well-touted Craggy Mountain a good opportunity to make a successful racecourse debut, representing trainer Barry Hills and his jockey son Michael.

As for the Museum Maiden Stakes, the John Gosden-trained Aesops showed enough ability in his two starts last season to give an obvious chance of collecting here. Furthermore, Frankie Dettori has the mount.

Tomorrow's tips Newmarket

Ramruma

Tedburrow (nap)

Circle Of Gold

Billy McCaw

Craggy Mountain

Ettrick

Aesops

Cheltenham

Embattle

Tinker

Gochinos

Nopalea

Swing Along

4.25 Beauchamp Magic

April Stock

5.30 Foxes Tail

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.