PONTEFRACT kicks off its 2007 campaign tomorrow with a bumper eight-race card and Norton trainer Brian Ellison will be hoping to stage a repeat victory with nap selection Great As Gold, who scored at the corresponding fixture 12 months ago.

The Jamaican Flight Handicap over a gruelling two-and-a-quarter miles is the target for this out-and-out stayer, who should be all the better for a recent all-weather outing at Southwell.

Although he could finish only second on that occasion to Blue Hills, the distance of one and three-quarter miles would be an absolute minimum for Great As Gold, who is fancied to reverse placings with Blue Hills over tomorrow's more demanding distance.

Folio gets the vote in the £18,000 High-Rise Handicap, the richest race on the card.

Willie Musson's charge ended last season on a high, by winning a decent handicap at Windsor. With Tom Queally again on board, the seven-year-old is fancied to begin the new term in a similar vein.

The £15,000 Dalby Stand Handicap over one a mile looks a good opportunity for Tufton to resume winning ways.

Trained by Marco Botti at Newmarket, the four-year-old, successful at Windsor last season, recently finished second at Kempton, beaten only a neck. That outing should have teed him up nicely for this contest.

Mark Johnston, whose horses are beginning to hit top form, can land the opening Strawberry Hill Maiden Stakes with Salaasa.

In the frame in both his starts last season, at Newmarket and Musselburgh, Salaasa looks the type to waste little time breaking his maiden this term before venturing on the handicap route.

The first round of the annual betfair.com Apprentices Series Handicap could have a familiar ring to it.

Trainer Peter Hiatt won this race last year with Isa'af and Hiatt can follow-up with Augustine, who confirmed his well-being with a decent effort at Lingfield a couple of weeks ago.

The six-year-old will be partnered by William Carson, grandson of five-times champion jockey, Willie Carson.

The pontefract-races.co.uk Maiden Fillies' Stakes has been divided into two divisions. Expensive Art, a daughter of Cape Cross, looks an interesting runner from the Neville Callaghan yard in the first leg, especially with Jamie Spencer on board, while Support Fund, placed at Bath and Lingfield in her two starts last season, should have a good chance in the second division on behalf of trainer Eve Johnson Houghton.

Racing selections
Tomorrow

Pontefract
2.20 Salaasa, 2.50 Melalchrist, 3.25 Tufton, 4.00 Great As Gold (NAP), 4.35 Folio, 5.05 Expensive Art, 5.35 Augustine, 6.05 Support Fund.

Fontwell
2.10 Valley Hall, 2.40 New Entic, 3.10 Lesdream, 3.45 Master T, 4.20 Nicki Boy, 4.50 Oberon Moon.

Tomorrow's other meeting: Chepstow (National Hunt).

Today's meetings: Musselburgh, Warwick, Yarmouth (all Flat), Sedgefield, Fakenham, Huntingdon, Plumpton (all National Hunt).