Frankie Dettori and the Godolphin operation, fresh from triumph in the French Derby on Sunday, can win the valuable Carlsberg Redcar Straight-Mile Championship Handicap at Redcar this afternoon.

Godolphin has stepped up a gear in recent times and Esquire, who beat a subsequent winner over seven furlongs on fast ground in autumn, is the strong fancy to make a winning reappearance.

He is the one progressive performer, whose up-with-the-pace style of racing is well suited to the straight mile at the North-East venue.

This is a much stiffer task than in that maiden company but his lofty entries - including the Group 1 St James' Palace Stakes, Sussex Stakes and Coral-Eclipse - suggest he's strongly held in high regard.

Dettori has prospects aboard John Gosden's Murfreesboro in the opening six furlong median auction maiden but, slight preference is for Ann Duffield's Indigo Nights, who shaped well on her debut. Given her inexperience she did well to finish second to a potentially smart sort in Masta Plasta, who looks sure to give a good account at Royal Ascot, and the extra furlong of this contest is sure to be in her favour.

Richard Fahey also has his string in good heart and his recent Carlisle winner, Knot In Wood, is the fancy in the open-looking Anderson Barrowcliff Handicap over seven furlongs. The lightly raced three-year-old confirmed previous promise to beat Superstitious with a bit in hand and the runner-up franked that form when successful at Nottingham on his previous start. The extra furlong of this race should be well within his compass and, although the ground is much quicker this time, it's worth remembering Fahey had expressed reservations about the soft conditions before the Carlisle race last time.

Mark Johnston's Michaels Pride was unfortunate to meet an improved performer last time but did well to pull clear of the remainder, and is the one to be on in the Redcar Races Next On 17th/18th June Handicap over a mile and a quarter.

Although winning a lowly Banded event on soft ground in April, he's since run well on both subsequent starts in handicaps and he is well drawn for one that usually races up with the pace.

At Chester David Nicholls' Plateau is strongly fancied in the Corbett Bookmakers Handicap over his optimum trip of seven furlongs. Nicholls won this race last year with Awake and his six-year-old is better than the bare form of his last two runs at Musselburgh (poorly drawn) and at Epsom (met trouble in an ultra-competitive race).

Trouble Mountain shaped well at Newcastle last week and can go close for the in-form Mick Easterby stable in the Heathcotes Handicap over the extended mile and a quarter.

His style of racing means he'll need luck in running but there should be a decent pace on. Richard Guest has been in tremendous form in the last month and his Les Arcs is taken to supplement his recent Musselburgh win in the Imagine Finance Handicap over seven furlongs.

* It was just like old times at Newton Abbot yesterday afternoon with West Country trainer Martin Pipe landing a near 34-1 treble, two of which were partnered by Tony McCoy.

Honan (15-8 favourite) got the ball rolling with a hard-fought length-and-a-half victory in the English Riviera Handicap Chase, while McCoy completed his double an hour later when getting 2-1 favourite Lutea home in the Irish Night, 14 June Selling Hurdle.

Sandwiched between those two races, Jamie Moore helped Pipe towards his hat-trick when Meneur De Jeu (3-1) upset odds-on favourite Amicelli in the 'The Racecourse For Your Summer Social Club' Novices' Hurdle.

* No reasons have appeared for Kong's disappointing performance in Saturday's Vodafone Derby, and he could be set for a quick reappearance in the King Edward VII Stakes next week.

The colt finished a distant last of the 13 runners in the Epsom Classic, but trainer John Dunlop reports him to have been perfectly sound since.

"Nothing has really come to light to explain Kong's run. He slipped a bit when another horse bumped into him at the top of the hill and I wonder whether that gave him a bit of a fright," said Dunlop.

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