KINGSCROSS looks just the ticket for this afternoon's six-furlong EBF Classified Stakes at Haydock.

Despite plenty of sunshine over the past 48 hours ground conditions have remained on the easy side for Kingscross, who needs little bit of give underfoot in order to show his best form.

Punters ignored the Lambourn-trained sprinter at Goodwood last week, sending the six-year-old off at the relatively long odds of 16-1.

But Kingcross (3.05) wasn't to know backers thought he was a no-hoper, and he ran a superb race to finish only a half-length behind the eventual winner, Toby Balding's, Marker.

Henry Cecil was in the money at Redcar yesterday with Focus, which can only bode well for the prospects of his filly Miss Monica (4.10) in the Kings Regiment Cup Handicap over one-mile.

Although Miss Monica came in for significant market support on her latest outing at Brighton, she could only manage third place. It is my guess that she failed to handle the quick surface on that occasion, a theory about to be put to test now that there is more juice in the turf.

Paul Cole has revitalised the fortunes of Kempton-bound Mr Tambourine Man (4.20), successful in two of his last three outings.

Once thought of as a possible Pattern class performer, Mr Tambourine Man might still be a well-handicapped three-year-old even though he has gone up a few pounds as a result of his mid-summer purple patch.

Despite having ridden out her claim, Lisa Jones is still able to ride in apprentices' races until the end of the current flat season.

Lisa gets the leg up on Pagan Prince in the closing Rubka Bureau Apprentice Handicap, a contest well within the seven-year-olds' remit judged by his victory in a far stronger event at Windsor just six days ago.

One of the most blue-blooded fillies on show at Chepstow is La Professoressa (3.25), who lines up for the mile-and-a-quarter Escape Design Handicap.

Nery's Dutfield trained three-year-old is a daughter of the high-class sire Cadeaux Genereux, out of a Sadler's Wells mare.

Granted such a fabulous pedigree one would have thought La Professoressa would be a real money-spinner, however sadly that has not been in evidence to date.

But hope could be at hand since she did shape as if the step up in trip from a mile would suit when staying on strongly when third to Farriers Charm over eight furlongs at Kempton recently.

In the earlier Russell Reynolds Claiming Stakes it is not difficult to make a cast-iron case for On Cloud Nine (2.50).

She's been bashing her head against a brick wall shouldering too much weight in handicaps up and down the country over the past few months. Newmarket handler Michael Bell therefore has sensibly opted to drop On Cloud Nine in grade, a tactical switch that along with the services of the admirable Hayley Turner might easily do the trick.