WITH Cheltenham all done and dusted it could pay to start concentrating on the Flat beginning with Stage Two (2.00) and The Bonus King (5.00), both fancied to collect on the Polytrack at Lingfield today.

Stage Two, a late-maturing three-year-old who makes his a debut in the New Site Stakes, wouldn't have to be a world-beater to win what looks to be a run-of-the-mill mile-and-a-half maiden.

A beautifully-bred colt by Sadler's Wells, Stage Two didn't make the track as a juvenile, although that hasn't stopped Mark Johnston excelling with such individuals in the past, especially when he starts them off over such a long distance.

In the later seven-furlong Classified Stakes, The Bonus King (5.00) makes stacks of appeal, having dropped like a stone in the ratings during the past 18 months.

So good was the selection in his two-year-old days when picking up the Listed Woodcote Stakes on Derby day, that it would have been unthinkable then to envisage him now running in a much lesser 0-80 contest.

But having endured a relatively poor 2003 campaign, The Bonus King has been handed a massive chance by the Official Handicapper to get back on the winning trail, given that he made a very pleasing reappearance at Wolverhampton in February.

Despite an eight-month absence from action, Little Brown Bear (3.10) is worthy of support at Warwick in the feature event on the card, the Systimax Handicap Chase.

Richard Ford's ten-year-old started the season in scintillating style with successive victories at Fakenham and Perth. Sadly Little Brown Bear then went right off the boil and after being pulled at Cartmel in May, Ford opted to give his gelding a long rest to get him freshened up.

He's not blessed with speed, but the Cheshire-trained raider stays forever and is sure to relish every single yard of the three-mile-and-five-furlong trip for the £5,700 race.

In the following Juvenile Novices Hurdle, Sigwells Club Boy (3.40) deserves to get his head in front after a series of frustrating placed efforts.

Jodie Mogford's mount has hit both posts and the crossbar on his last three outings, and with a little more luck could well find the back of the net this time.

On his most recent outing at Fontwell, Sigwells Club Boy suffered the misfortune to stumble badly on the home bend, losing vital momentum in the process.

Provided no such mishap occurs in this afternoon's relatively low-level heat, the four-year-old has every chance of finally getting off the mark over the sticks after several misses.

In the Tim Barclay Memorial Handicap Chase at Fakenham, Martin Pipe's Mark Equal (3.20) appears to have a straightforward task.

Mark Equal has won his last two races at Chepstow and Warwick without even breaking sweat. The latest success came just last Sunday and Pipe knows he must run the eight-year-old quickly under a 7lb penalty before the Handicapper has time to stick him up by at least twice that amount

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