Majestic Missile, who ran a blinder when third in last month's Nunthorpe Stakes on Knavesmire, can gain an overdue first success of the season at Doncaster tomorrow.

The £30,000 Earth Mortgages Scarbrough Stakes, a Listed race, is the target for the William Haggas-trained sprinter, who will be ridden by title-chasing Jamie Spencer.

A top-notch juvenile two seasons ago when he won both the Molecomb Stakes and the Cornwallis, Majestic Missile was restricted to only a few races last season.

But he has looked to be on the way back this summer, finishing a good third in Ireland, being narrowly beaten at Chester when things didn't quite go his way and, most recently, running La Cucaracha and The Tatling close in the Nunthorpe.

A hold-up horse, Majestic Missile invariably needs things to pan out right for him, but given a clear passage tomorrow the four-year-old promises to be hard to beat and is awarded my Nap vote.

Jimmy Fortune, who rode Majestic Missile at York, would doubtless have ridden him again had he not been serving a suspension.

His also misses the ride on Pure Illusion in the £70,000 Murphy's Fastflow May Hill Stakes. Impressive winner of a Newmarket maiden race last month, Pure Illusion is trained by John Gosden, who won this Group 2 fillies' race last season with Playful Act, a youngster with a similar pre-Doncaster profile as Pure Illusion.

In Fortune's absence, Kevin Darley gets the mount on Pure Illusion. The Sheriff Hutton jockey also rides Gosden's Sleeping Indian in the £100,000 GNER Park Stakes. Winner of two of his three races this season Sleeping Indian has stacks of talent.

The £100,000 Doncaster Cup offers Millenary the chance to gain back-to-back triumphs. A year ago, John Dunlop's hardy campaigner dead-heated with Kasthari, who is in the field again tomorrow. But Kasthari has had just one unplaced effort this season, Millenary scored an easy win in the Lonsdale Stakes at York last month.

Thursday's tips

Doncaster

1.40 Formal Decree, 2.10 Majestic Missile (Nap), 2.45 Pure Illusion, 3.20 Sleeping Indian, 3.55 Millenary, 4.30 Favourable Terms, 5.05 H Harrison.

Epsom

1.50 Expensive Problem, 2.20 Bridal Path, 2.55 Suggestive, 3.30 Maystock, 4.05 Uig, 4.40 Jack The Giant, 5.15 Bessemer.

Tomorrow's other race meeting is at Bath.

Updated: 14:34 Wednesday, September 07, 2005