WITH his backside perched much higher above the saddle than your average jockey, 19-year-old Keith Dalgleish won't be too difficult to spot aboard Simeon (4.00) once the stalls fly open for this afternoon's Group 2 Princess Of Wales Stakes at Newmarket.

With Mark Johnston's number one choice Kevin Darley still out through injury, and Frankie Dettori, who partnered Simeon when they were third in the French Derby at Longchamp unable to do 8st 3lb, Dalgleish steps in for the big-race ride.

The Lester Piggott-like carriage is due entirely to Keith's height of 5ft 8in, who just like Lester is a good bit taller than the majority of his colleagues in the Weighing Room. And the comparison doesn't end there because Dalgleish, having ridden out his apprenticeship in double-quick time, has future champion jockey status written all over his teenage Scottish face.

Just three years after joining Johnston's Middleham stable, Keith has not only ripped through the ranks to become fully-fledged jockey, but also booted home his first ever winner at Royal Ascot last month, Helm Bank, out-slugging the mighty Mick Kinane on the odds-on favourite Tomahawk in the process.

In terms of financial reward and prestige, victory for Simeon would easily eclipse that of the Helm Bank, since following his brilliant performance in France, the former is rated not too far behind the likes of High Chaparral and Hawk Wing amongst the 2002 three-year-old division.

In the preceding Cherry Hinton Stakes, a Group 2 event confined to two-year-old fillies, the John Weymes-trained Spiritual Air (3.25) is not without a chance despite having to take on some of the top southern stables. Middleham-based Weymes only trains a handful of horses compared to the likes of John Gosden and Barry Hills, responsible for the market leaders in the £60,000 contest, Pearl Dance and Never A Doubt.

However, that duo arguably had very hard races when both were placed at Royal Ascot, whereas Gary Hind didn't have to get too serious on Spiritual Air when lowering the colours of the hot-favourite Rahaf at Ayr. In the six furlong Showcase Handicap, Impressive Flight (2.50) is fancied to get her revenge on Artie.

Its 1-0 to Artie at present, the latter having just held the late thrust of Impressive Flight in the valuable William Hill Trophy at York last time out. Missed Flight additionally sweated up quite badly in the preliminaries, draining vital reserves of energy before the race had even begun.

Up at Pontefract the in-form team of Richard Fahey and Paul Hannagan get together for Bramantino (2.35) in the Dianne Nursery. Bramantino has been brought along very steadily by Fahey and he has been switched to handicap grade.

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