David Nicholls, with two Group-race winners already in the bag at Goodwood this week, goes for the Vodafone Stewards' Cup with five of the 28 runners in tomorrow's six-furlongs dash.

The mount of Kieren Fallon, Gift Horse is marginally preferred to Lafi as the best of Nicholls' prized squad.

All of them have significantly got high draws in a race where a double-figure stall position has proved crucial in recent years.

Gift Horse, previously trained by James Fanshawe, has won two of his three races since joining Nicholls. Successes at Doncaster and Epsom sandwiched a gallant defeat at York where, after quickening clear, he faded late on and was beaten into third place by Soldier's Tale.

Fallon knows the gelding well, having ridden him to victory at Epsom, and it is significant that he takes the mount again.

Lafi, who is vying for favouritism with Gift Horse, looks a live danger. Winner of last year's Wokingham Handicap at Royal Ascot before succumbing to injury, Lafi finished second in a Group 3 race at Sandown and also a valuable handicap at Newbury last Sunday.

The Sessay trainer elected to go for high numbers at the draw yesterday. Seven of the last ten winners of the race have come from stall 19 or higher.

However, he nearly went for a stands side draw for Gift Horse as he explained: "I was tempted to go low with Gift Horse but I was outvoted.

"He's a real good horse and he'll be knocking on the door."

Nicholls, who won the race as a jockey on Soba in 1982 and 18 years later as a trainer with Tayseer, added: "We went high for all of them and we are very happy. We should get a good tow, there looks plenty of pace over there. You've got to be where the pace is.

"Merlin's Dancer will go quick and Pieter Brueghel will go quick and the ground might just be that bit better over there."

Quite apart from Nicholls' team of runners, Richard Fahey, with three horses in the line-up, and John Quinn and Kevin Ryan with two apiece, are also strongly representing the North Yorkshire fraternity.

Fantasy Believer was runner-up 12 months ago from stall 24 and his trainer John Quinn went high again, at 20.

Gift Horse, though, is the one for me in what promises to be a thrilling race.

Irish raider Alexander Goldrun holds all the aces in the £200,000 Vodafone Nassau Stakes, the richest race on the card on the final day of the Glorious Goodwood meeting.

Winner of three Group 1 races over this distance of ten furlongs, Jim Bolger's filly comfortably accounted for a high-class field when landing last month's Pretty Polly Stakes at The Curragh. She will be hard to beat.

At Thirsk, the £14,000 Ekos Consulting Handicap is the feature on the programme, and Robert Winston, who rode two winners at Musselburgh last night to keep his championship hopes alive, can take the honours on Rohaani, trained by Sir Michael Stoute.

Winner of both his races, Rohaani takes on older horses here but he looks an exciting prospect, and, on the face of it, may not be badly handicapped.

The Kevin Ryan-trained High Curragh, who got off the mark over six furlongs at Ayr recently, reverts to five in the Hertel Nursery and deserves respect, with Winston taking the mount.

Jamie Spencer, one of Winston's arch-rivals in the title battle, teams-up with tomorrow's Nap selection Song of Songs, who goes to Doncaster to run in the Weatherbys-sponsored Summer Cup.

A winner on this course last month, James Fanshawe's colt easily followed-up in a handicap at Newbury last Sunday. A 6lb penalty should not be enough to halt his progress tomorrow.

Caesar Beware, winner of the big sales race on this track last season, returns to the course for the first time this year in the Unison Trade Union Stakes over six furlongs.

At Newmarket, Tim Easterby can land the blusqcasino.com Handicap with Game Lad.

A good second on this course two outings, Game Lad did not enjoy the run of the race when a staying-on third at Beverley on his latest outing.

With Steve Drowne in the saddle, he is fancied to gain an overdue success.

Friday's tips:

Goodwood

2.00 Self Respect, 2.30 Mister Genepi, 3.10 Alexander Goldrun, 3.45 Gift Horse, 4.20 Dynamic Rhythm, 4.55 Sounds Simla, 5.30 Lucayan Dancer.

Doncaster

2.20 Global Genius, 2.55 Caesar Beware, 3.30 Song of Songs (Nap), 4.05 Zayn Zen, 4.35 Amira, 5.05 Bowness.

Newmarket

2.05 Game Lad, 2.35 Polar Ben, 3.05 New Art, 3.40 Clipperdown, 4.15 Shortest Day, 4.45 Wellington Hall, 5.20 Zalimar.

Thirsk

2.15 Brandywell Boy, 2.45 High Curragh, 3.20 Loughlorien, 3.55 Rohaani, 4.30 Ahdaaf, 5.00 Bollin Thomas.

Tomorrow's other race meetings are at Hamilton (evening, Flat) and Lingfield (evening, Flat).

Updated: 12:29 Friday, July 29, 2005