With £200,000 up for grabs tomorrow in one of the most famous handicaps in Europe, Odiham is napped to strike it rich in the totesport Ebor, the historic highlight on day two of York's August Festival.

Trained at Lambourn by Hughie Morrison, Odiham, the mount of Steve Drowne, has had just four races this season, but has run creditably in each of them, not least when a close-up fifth in the Northumberland Plate at Newcastle at the end of June.

Since then Odiham has had just one outing, at Lingfield, where he finished fourth behind three solid yardsticks in High Action, Golden Quest and Swift Sailor, again over two miles.

Tomorrow's slightly shorter trip, in a race sure to be run at a good clip, puts Odiham in with a real shout from the foot of the handicap, and from a favourable draw in stall five, which contrasts sharply with Sendintank, another horse with sound prospects, who is drawn widest of all in 20.

Of course, the Ebor would not be the Ebor without it being a minefield for punters and among those that boast obvious chances are local hope Crow Wood, trained by John Quinn, Irish challenger Orpington, the tough-as-teak Balkan Knight and Carte Diamond, winner of last season's November Handicap before proving himself a useful hurdler for Brian Ellison. He has been prepared specificially with this race in mind.

But Odiham will do for me. A lightly-raced four-year-old with the scope for further improvement, and with a good draw into the bargain. He is awarded the nap vote.

In the Scottish Equitable Gimcrack Stakes, local trainers Tim Easterby and Richard Fahey promise to be well represented, courtesy of Mullaad and Playtotheaudi-ence respectively.

The former, a dual-winner this season, went down fighting when filling second place in the Group 2 Richmond Stakes last time at Goodwood, a course which may not have suited him.

Playtotheaudience fulfilled his exceptional home promise with an impressive late burst to win at Haydock last time and is clearly a useful horse in the making.

Of the pair, though, Mullaad may be the more streetwise and he is selected to come up trumps under Dave Allan.

The Aston Upthorpe Yorkshire Oaks is the richest race on the card, with £250,000 on offer, and, given the form of John Gosden's horses, it would be unwise to overlook the claims of Playful Act, who, although no match for the exceptional Shawanda in the Irish Oaks last month, came out a clear second-best.

That was only her second start of the campaign - she had previously won the Lancashire Oaks - and a bold bid is expected under Jimmy Fortune, who is riding out of his skin at present.

Sir Michael Stoute can get punters off to a good start with Rohaani in the Motability Supported By Royal & SunAlliance Handicap.

Unbeaten in three starts, Rohaani benefited from a brilliant ride from Robert Winston to score at Thirsk last month and is open to further improvement over this longer trip.

Whatever Richard Fahey's fate with Playtotheaudience in the Gimcrack, the Malton trainer has good prospects of landing the Costcutter Roses Stakes with Colorus.

A runaway winner at Southwell on his debut, Colorus looks pretty smart and it is striking that Fahey has also secured Kieren Fallon's services for this juvenile.

Always Emirates, a newcomer from the Godolphin stable, has the pedigree to be a decent horse and, with the stable flying on all cylinders now, it would obviously be foolhardy not to treat him with respect in the newitts.com Convivial Maiden Stakes.

Wednesday's tips

York

1.20 Rohaani; 1.55 Mullaad; 2.30 Odiham (NAP); 3.05 Playful Act; 3.35 Colorus; 4.10 Always Emirates; 4.45 Sundance.

Carlisle

2.05 Mineko; 2.40 Island Prince; 3.15 Trick Cyclist; 3.50 Special Lad; 4.25 Hula Ballew; 4.55 Ellway Heights.

Tomorrow's other race meetings are at Epsom, Nottingham and Worcester.

Updated: 11:19 Tuesday, August 16, 2005