TOM TUN is the each-way banker bet of the day provided he's in the right frame of mind for the £20,000 BASF Handicap at York.

Despite significant market support on his penultimate outing in the Great St Wilfred Handicap, Tom Tun threw the toys out of his pram and was never travelling like a winner at any stage of the race.

Trainer John Balding could find no physical problem with the horse and accordingly whipped out Tom Tun just four days after that dismal effort to contest a white-hot sprint at the Ebor meeting.

In taking such a gamble Balding might easily have ended up with egg on his face, but the selection responded in kind by leading the field a merry dance until collared well inside the final furlong by both Fonthill Road and Watching.

Tom Tun (2.40) often comes good at this time of the season and if the warm autumn sunshine over the past 48 hours has not sucked too much juice out of the ground, then he must surely be in the shake-up for the six-furlong dash on the Knavsemire.

Godolphin put the unbeaten record of their three-year-old colt Into The Dark (3.45) on the line in the Elite Homes Garrowby Handicap.

The Official Handicapper has to a certain extent been whistling in dark as to the correct mark for the horse since he's only run twice and therefore possesses very little evidence on which to allot Into The Dark an accurate rating.

Some would say the BHB have taken no chances by giving him top-weight, however I would beg to differ because Into The Dark might ultimately turn out to be a Group standard individual masquerading as an ordinary handicapper at present.

Unless any of the newcomers turn out to be well above average Love Palace (4.50) should by rights open his account in the seven furlong Prince of Wales's Own Regiment Maiden Stakes.

Mark Johnston's colt ran into a potentially top-class sort when narrowly beaten by Gerard Butler's Looks Could Kill at Hamilton last time out. It is doubtful whether there is anything of the calibre of that rival in today's line up, opening the door for Love Palace to make it third time lucky in the £7,000 race.

For the closing mile-and-a-half Amateur Riders' Handicap it is worth taking a risk on the fitness of Calatagan (5.20).

Malcolm Jefferson's useful dual-purpose performer hasn't been seen out for three months, nonetheless if on top of his game he could prove head-and-shoulders above the opposition.

Not every horse is able to make a successful transition from turf to polytrack, but that wasn't the case for Distant Connection (3.55), who switched from grass to man-made surface with seamless ease at Lingfield last week.

The Alan Jarvis-trained seven-furlong specialist has to shoulder a 6lb penalty for his track and trip victory, a less-than exacting extra burden that is unlikely to be sufficient to stop him completing a quick-fire double at the Surrey venue.