WINNING hurdler Rahwaan (1.50) has a big fitness advantage over most of his rivals in the Lakeside Handicap at Doncaster.

Rahwaan switches back to the Flat after hammering a decent field of novice hurdlers at Catterick last month, a pipe-opener which should have put him spot-on for today's gruelling 2-mile test.

Middleham handler Chris Fairhurst is aiming his stayer at the Chester Cup, a race in which he finished a gallant fourth 12 months ago. But he must ensure Rahwaan is high enough in the weights to get a run, a conundrum that will be solved provided he wins today.

The £25,000 Stanleybet Spring Mile is the sort of wide-open handicap every bookmaker in the land relishes.

From a punting point of view going in all guns blazing is not a good idea with so many unknown factors complicating the equation. At least in siding with Cardinal Venture (2.50) backers know their horse is in good heart, having picked up three races on the all-weather, plus he's also proved to be pretty useful on the turf in the past.

In the preceding £20,000 Season Ticket Handicap, Impressive Flight (2.20) bids to repair the damage of a relatively poor 2003 campaign.

David Barron's filly shaped as if she would be a major force in the leading sprint races last year. But sadly it was not to be as Impressive Flight made the track a paltry three times in all.

Her nervous nature didn't really help, but she's got the ability and if anyone can tease Impressive Flight back to top form it is Barron, an undisputed master of his craft.

Some potentially useful middle-distance three-year-olds turn out in the closing mile-and-a-quarter Malty Maiden Stakes, none more so than King Of Dreams (4.00), who showed more than a hint of promise when runner-up to Blue Monday at York in October.

King Of Dreams, a 150,000 guineas son of Sadler's Wells, is certainly bred to the job and he'll have to start winning soon if he is to justify his relatively hefty price tag.

The fact that top-jock Darryll Holland has given Doncaster's big money meeting a swerve in order to ride at Lingfield is a hint not to be missed.

Holland, quoted as low as 3-1 for this season's jockeys' championship, is going all out to win the title and with the assistance of his assiduous agent, Matt Chapman, he's no forlorn hope to beat the reigning champ, Kieren Fallon.

If things go to plan, Darryll has a terrific chance of booting home a five-timer courtesy of Iceni Warrior (2.00), Eccentric (3.00), Certifiable (3.35), Majhool (4.10), and Anyhow (4.40).

Janus's ten to follow, featured in Racing North, got off to a flyer yesterday when 16-1 shot Steel Blue won at Doncaster.

* Crack Irish jockey Johnny Murtagh and champion trainer Sir Michael Stoute teamed up to take the feature Freephone Stanleybet Doncaster Mile on the opening day of the turf Flat season yesterday with Sublimity.

The victory bodes well for his stable companion Fremen, ante-post favourite for tomorrow's Lincoln.

Lundy's Lane was quickly away in the Listed contest run over the round mile and set a searching gallop, chased by Gateman, with Sublimity settled on the inside.

Three furlongs out the leader folded and Gateman went for home with Sublimity hard on his heels.

Murtagh switched the 7-2 chance to challenge Mark Johnston's charge on the outside and after a brief struggle, soon got the upper hand. Sublimity ran on strongly to score by 1 lengths.

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