ANN DUFFIELD'S in-form stable has terrific prospects of an across-the-card double at Lingfield and Ripon via Finland and Prairie Sun.

The Constable Burton-based handler has her small team in terrific fettle, a factor that should ensure Finland's (3.00) long trek from North Yorkshire to Surrey is not in vain for the near mile-and-a-half Family Celebrations at Lingfield Handicap.

Duffield's three-year-old was actually rather unlucky not to have struck at Beverley last week having been badly impeded when about to make his challenge in a similar standard event.

The offending jockey on that occasion was Robert Winston, who doesn't normally drop any clangers, a remark which also applies to his replacement, Seb Sanders, a highly-dependable rider, now given the task of steering the selection to victory.

Much nearer to home, Duffield trundles her horse box a few miles down the road with Prairie Sun (7.35) loaded up and hoping to complete a hat-trick by winning the two-mile Ripon Farm Services Handicap.

Prairie Sun is a mare very much on an upward curve judged on two successive triumphs at Musselburgh and Catterick, the latest achieved in silky-smooth fashion just four days ago at the weekend.

Mark Johnston's youngsters have an excellent record at the track, so it's likely some of the bookies will have donned their tin hats in anticipation of a flood of money for Global Warning (6.30), a leading light in the opening six-furlong Lishman Maiden Stakes.

Maktoum Al Maktoum's two-year-old cost a cool 400,000 bucks, which is not exactly chickenfeed, even to one as hugely wealthy as his oil-rich, big-spending owner.

Precisely whether the impeccably bred colt will ever repay that sort of cash is open to question, however he can at least make a start by building on his promising Hamilton debut when occupying third spot.

The later Cocked Hat Farm Foods Handicap is an absolute peach of a race with virtually all of the 13 contestants in with some sort of shout.

My esteemed colleague on the racing desk, Richard Young, reckons those drawn high have a significant advantage on the round one-mile course, pointing towards last year's winner, Langford from stall nine, plus fellow Newmarket traveller, Cesare (8.05).

James Fanshawe's four-year-old has been allotted best berth of all - namely number 13 hard against the inside rail. Kicking off from that position, Cesare can nab the advantage of the quickest strip of ground, and even more importantly take the shortest route between stalls and winning post.

Best bet at Newmarket's evening meeting has got to be Armagnac (7.45), who will surely be well served by stepping up to seven furlongs for the first time this term

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