MAKE sure Muqbil (4.20) is on your shortlist for this afternoon's mile-and-a-quarter Listed Gala Stakes at Sandown.

John Dunlop's superbly bred son of Swain appeared to be on the downgrade during a disappointing end to his 2003 campaign, but just when all seemed lost Muqbil bounced back to form with a five-length success over Grampian at Doncaster in early June.

He'll have picked a good deal of confidence from finally getting his head back in front and I reckon the four-year-old will once again put on the style and romp away with the £30,000 event at the Esher venue.

As race-title implies, the Shoesmith Maiden Handicap at Warwick is a contest that will not take much winning.

One of the top-rated contenders is Tintawn Gold (4.30), who not for the first time in her life showed a modicum of ability when coming home in fourth spot at Folkestone last time out. She's lovely big filly and by rights should have won by now, however there's no time like the present as far as horseracing parlance goes and having found a particularly weak affair in the Midlands, Tintawn Gold gets a confident vote.

Malton-based Neville Bycroft has his string in cracking fettle, boding nicely for the prospects of bottom-weight Tedsdale Mac (7.45) in the Aunt Bessie's Yorkshire Pudding Handicap at Beverley.

Although Tedsdale Mac has been dubbed something of a villain in the past, there was certainly nothing wrong with his most recent course and distance second when narrowly beaten by the 25-1 unconsidered outsider, Libre.

In the following Westwood Homes Selling Stakes, Bycroft 's Splodger Mac (8.15) is also worth a speculative punt at potentially long odds. Splodger Mac's state of fitness must be taken on trust having not been seen out for 297 days, nonetheless he was only beaten by a gnats whisker at the course in August of last year, a career-best effort which in the context of this dismal race reads extremely well.

Haydock stages a busy evening meeting and the best bet on the card to my way of thinking is Yankeedoodledandy (7.00) in the opening Wedding Anniversary Handicap.

Patrick Haslam's gelding simply does not know how to run a badly and having finished either first or second on all of his previous five starts, Yankiedoodledandy can be relied upon to punch his weight.

In the closing mile-and-three-quarter Steve Vincent Handicap, Dunlea Dancer (9.30) will be warm order to follow-up his facile win at Hamilton on Tuesday.

Dunlea Dancer destroyed his rivals with ruthless efficiency on that occasion and with only a 6lb penalty to shoulder he can send the local bookmakers home with their tails between their legs.

* Australian sprinter Exceed And Excel is expected to continue his build-up to next week's Darley July Cup with a gallop at Newmarket this weekend. The four-year-old is due to work on the Al Bahathri gallop tomorrow morning in preparation for the Group One contest after suffering from a poor blood count that ruled him out of Royal Ascot.