EARLIER this season Newcastle-bound Armagnac had more noughts against his name than a David Beckman pay cheque, but now the four-year-old is beginning to find the target, a decent prize beckons in the £30,000 the Tote Scoop6 Northern Sprint.

Since trainer Mark Buckley left these parts a couple of months ago to relocate in Lincolnshire, his horses appear to have taken on a new lease of life and Armagnac (2.45) is no exception.

Buckley's sprinter certainly ran a blinder at York when third of 20 to Bond Boy on June 15 and I was on hand to take a peep at the selection in the paddock that day, where he looked as if he just needed the outing.

If that impression of Armagnac's slight lack of fitness was correct, we can confidently expect an even better run today.

As a trainer of fillies, Henry Cecil has had no peers over the past 25 years.

The great man will therefore probably have been slightly disappointed because Half Glance (3.50) hasn't quite lived up to the Classic expectations bandied around over the winter months.

Maybe she's just taken time to come to hand, in which case Cecil's filly could well be good enough to take the Listed Hoppings Stakes over an extended mile-and-a-quarter.

The one place you don't want a hard-luck story is Royal Ascot, sadly precisely the case for Tillerman in the valuable Group 2 Jersey Stakes.

Excuse the pun, but jockey Richard Hughes really did steer the wrong course, choosing to switch out to the centre field rather than sit pretty on the rails. Had Hughes elected to stay where he was, Amanda Perrett's colt, who was only beaten a short-head, would undoubtedly have won.

If there is any justice Tillerman (3.00) should gain deserved compensation at Newmarket in the Group 3 Antec International Criterion Stakes.

Tim Easterby's Fayr Jag (4.10) must also be of interest at Headquarters, having finished fifth at York last time out despite having to run on ground considered to be far too soft.

The time before Fayr Jag was cruelly denied victory over track and trip when caught by Just James' late burst of speed.

At Chester, Platinum Duke (4.45) bids for an incredible six-timer having won pulling the proverbial cart at Wolverhampton yesterday.

Having led readers badly astray by saying Young Rosein was a steering job at Carlisle last Thursday, there is an unexpected opportunity to retrieve losses as Geraldine Rees whips her six-year-old mare out just 48 hours later for the closing seven-furlong Fillies' Handicap at Doncaster.

Although Young Rosein stayed on to finish fifth at Carlisle, she was never going to land a blow at the leaders.

In her defence she is rather a gross sort of individual, so maybe that run will have shed a few unwanted kilos.

* Mark Johnston's And Beyond excelled himself at Chantilly yesterday by proving a game winner of the Listed Prix la Moskowa.

Keith Dalgleish's front-running mount gradually wound up the pace in the one-mile-seven-furlong event, with the Middleham raider coming under fierce attack from Clety inside the last.

However, And Beyond (6.4-1) had all the answers and held on to beat the Francois Doumen runner by a neck.

Epitre was a length further away in third.

Ela Merici (11.5-1) maintained her unbeaten record in the Group Three Prix du Bois over five furlongs, France's first juvenile Group race of the season, on the same card.

The Corine Barbe runner quickened well from a good position to beat Zinziberine by a length. On Line was third.

Petite Histoire, the fast starting Irish filly, was beaten a shade over two lengths into fourth.

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