HALLA San, a runaway winner at Catterick on his seasonal reappearance, bids for the feature prize at Ripon tomorrow and also undergoes a dress rehearsal for next month's Chester Cup.

The Richard Fahey-trained gelding remains unproven over longer distances and his performance in the £20,000 Totesport.com Handicap, on his first attempt over two miles, will either convince or dissuade Fahey from sending him to Chester for its famous two-and-a-quarter miles marathon.

A progressive horse, who won twice for Fahey last season, Halla San was mightly impressive over one mile and five furlongs at Catterick, where he scored by seven lengths.

The downside of that triumph is that the handicapper has since raised him 15lb in the ratings, so a career-best display will be required tomorrow for him to prevail in a race which Fahey won last year with Greenwich Meantime, who was subsequently an unlucky loser of the Chester Cup.

The way he stayed on strongly at Catterick suggests two miles will be within his compass and Halla San is napped to follow-up - and earn himself a place in the field for the Chester Cup, for which he is one of the ante-post market-leaders.

The Ripon card kicks-off with a competitive sprint, the £15,000 totescoop6 Handicap, in which Ebn Reem is taken to make the most of her good draw in stall one, right next to the favoured stands rail.

A winner at Kempton on her comeback, Michael Jarvis's speedy three-year-old will take some catching.

Never Without Me (3.05), a previous course-and-distance winner, should go well, while Sinead Of Aglish (4.40) looked a winner waiting to happen when narrowly beaten at Warwick on her debut and has good prospects of going one better, though her wide draw has to be a concern.


Racing selections

Tomorrow

Beverley: 2.30 Ebn Reem, 3.05 Never Without Me, 3.40 Halla San (NAP), 4.10 Faversha, 4.40 Sinead Of Aglish, 5.10 Muqadam, 5.50 Camrose

Sandown: 2.10 Classic Fiddle, 2.40 Dempsey, 3.20 Hot Weld, 3.55 Jeremy, 4.25 Al Tharib, 4.55 Rain Stops Play, 5.30 Bold Diktator

Tomorrow's other meetings: Haydock (Flat), Leicester (Flat), Market Rasen (National Hunt), Wolverhampton (all-weather Flat).

Today's meetings: Chepstow (National Hunt), Newton Abbot, Perth, Sandown and Wolverhampton (all weather Flat).