NICK LITTMODEN has saved up a couple of his best two-year-olds, Wavertree Dream and Magical Mimi, for today's most valuable race, the £100,000 Tattersalls Autumn Auction Stakes at Newmarket.

Stable jockey Ian Mongan partnered both to victory last time out and logically therefore he must be regarded as the most reliable judge as to which one is best.

Such theories do not always work out to plan, however, and in this instance I feel his decision to ride Wavertree Dream (3.25) will be vindicated in the six-furlong sprint.

The form of his win on the July course counts for plenty at headquarters and there's no denying the selection's gritty success in that mid-summer seven-furlong Nursery rates a pretty good effort in the context of this afternoon's encounter.

The only potential worry for Wavertree Dream is the fact that he has to step back a furlong in distance, but Littmoden is a very shrewd cookie and he'll have left nothing to chance as far as sharpening up his colt for the slightly shorter trip.

There won't be much value in backing Frizzante (4.00) for the following Boadicea Listed Fillies Stakes.

The James Fanshawe-trained three-year-old put disappointments in both the Stewards and Ayr Gold Cups behind her with a blistering track-and-trip triumph last time out. Frizzante looks odds-on to complete the double on the strength on that success and take it from me the bookies won't be offering any fancy odds about her in the £32,000 six-furlong dash.

Bryan Smart reports he's never had Bond Boy better in preparation for the closing TBF Handicap.

Bond Boy ideally requires soft ground to show his best and even with the best will in the world I doubt whether the ground staff have been able to pump sufficient water on to the course to satisfy his requirements.

With Smart's raider not certain to handle the conditions, a suitable alternative may prove to be Budelli (5.10). Mick Channon's horses are enjoying a purple patch at present and Budelli showed his current wellbeing with a whirlwind finish to snatch third spot in a hotter-than-hot sprint at Ascot last Saturday.

Top race at Southwell belongs to the seven-furlong Ladbrokes Handicap featuring several in-form types switching back from lucrative campaigns on the turf.

One individual equally effective on fibresand and grass is Hov (3.00). Hov's brace of back-to-back wins at the Midlands venue in June was an emphatic demonstration of just how well he acts at the track, and punters can also take great heart from the fact he ran so creditably when a close-up fourth at Haydock late last month.

The final word must go to Brantwood (4.45), who drops back to six furlongs in the Fisketon Handicap having been tried over one mile for two of his last three outings.

Brantwood started the season so high in weights he had absolutely no realistic chance of getting his head in front.

Trainer Bryan McMahon has finally got his speedy three-year-old back down to a more appropriate mark and with the advantage of a handy low draw is awarded the nap vote.

l Nandoo made it two wins from three starts this season under Richard Johnson in the Malcolm Jefferson Owners Novices' Hurdle at Wetherby yesterday, writes RAY GILPIN.

Middleham trainer Micky Hammond said: ''She has done well and is better suited to jumping than to the Flat. All races take a bit of winning and she has a good attitude.''

Declan Carroll got off the mark for the season when Mezereon opened her jumping account at the first attempt in the Ride-away Saddlery And Country Clothing Juvenile Novices' Hurdle.

Carroll, based at Warthill near York, trains the winner for the Diamond Racing Syndicate, and he said: ''Diamond Joshua won this race for them a couple of years ago and went on to finish third in the Triumph Hurdle, so it is nice for them to win it again."