Paul Hanagan, wintering in Dubai, makes a flying visit to Lingfield today and can be rewarded with a couple of winners on a valuable programme which also sees a North Yorkshire mare bidding to follow-up her success at the corresponding fixture 12 months ago.

Hanagan flies in to take two mounts for his retaining owner Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum and both have bright chances.

Ertijaal, who runs in the Listed 32Red Spring Cup is of particular interest. Narrowly beaten by Toormore, a subsequent Group 1 winner on his debut last season, the strapping colt went on to record a six lengths triumph in maiden company at Yarmouth.

There was talk afterwards of him being aimed at the Gimcrack Stakes at York, but he suffered a setback and was not seen out again.

Ertijaal makes his reappearance over seven furlongs in a race with £45,000 in prize money. The opposition looks pretty strong, but he looks a colt of immense potential and he can make Hanagan's journey well worthwhile by justifying the nap vote.

Hanagan also teams-up with the Richard Hannon-trained Shafrah in the Ladbrokes Maiden Stakes. The three-year-old showed plenty of promise on his two outings last season and looks the type to come into his own this term.

His rivals include Mount Shamsan, an unraced Haggas-trained four-year-old, for whom, perhaps significantly, Ryan Moore has been booked. Shafrah, though, may have the edge on experience.

Ladies Are Forever, trained at Brawby near Malton by Geoff Oldroyd and owned and bred by Pocklington-based Reg Bond, lines-up in the Hever Sprint Stakes. a Listed event which she won last year in tremendous style.

A talented sprinter, Ladies Are Forever has good prospects of producing an encore following an encouraging reappearance on this course last month when she finished a close-up sixth to Tarooq in a hot race. Robert Tart, who knows her well, is in the saddle.

The Coral Winter Derby is the feature race on the Lingfield card and, despite a wide draw, Grandeur, trained by Jeremy Noseda and the mount of Ryan Moore, looks a worthy favourite after making a winning reappearance on this course last month in Listed company.

Tim Easterby, who enjoyed such a wonderful Cheltenham Festival, sends Run Ructions Run to Newbury tomorrow for a valuable prize and the hint should be heeded.

The mount of Dougie Costello, Run Ructions Run contests the £40,000 EBF Stallions & TBA Mares' Novices' Hurdle Finale. Admirably consistent, Run Ructions Run has not finished out of the first two in seven outings this season and was a six lengths winner at Market Rasen last time out.

She faces tough opposition here, but she looks sure to make a bold bid for Easterby, who sent out 33-1 shot Hawk High to win at Cheltenham last week.

Tony McCoy, who returned to the saddle in mid-week to record his 200th winner of the season after a painful time at Cheltenham last week, can make his mark on the Newbury card aboard Storm Survivor in the Ultima - Proud Sponsors of Alan King Racing Handicap Chase.

The Jonjo O'Neill-trained gelding ran a fine race to chase home Night In Milan in the Grimthorpe Chase at Doncaster last month and is fancied to go one better.

Also worth noting are the high-class Sign Of A Victory (1.50), a runaway Doncaster winner last time, and Stiff Upper Lip (4.05), who makes his handicap debut after a facile course win three weeks ago.
 

Selections

Lingfield

2.10 Sian Gwalia, 2.40 Ladies Are Forever, 3.15 Ertijaal (NAP), 3.50 Grandeur, 4.25 Shafrah, 5.00 Mondlicht, 5.35 Villa Royale.

Newbury

1.50 Sign Of A Victory, 2.20 Bally Legend, 2.55 Run Ructions Run, 3.30 Storm Survivor, 4.05 Stiff Upper Lip, 4.40 Gaitway, 5.15 Dark And Dangerous.