PROVIDED Scottish River (2.55) is in full flow he'll be a hard horse to beat in the Group 3 Somerville Tattersall Stakes at Newmarket.

Earlier on in the year Mark Johnston's colt looked as if he was something special when running away with a maiden at Thirsk and then chasing home the high-class Meshameer in the six furlong July Stakes.

A couple of disappointing efforts since need to be explained if Scottish River is now to be backed with confidence, and it's true that Johnston's stable weren't firing on all cylinders when the son of Thunder Gulch was well beaten at Kempton in early September. Happily all is now hunky-dory with the yard and the Kingsley House juveniles are performing with particular zest at present, prompting further confidence in the selection.

In the opening one-and-a-half-mile Listed contest, Hatha Anna (1.50) has plenty going for him.

For starters he's bang in form having won successive races at Haydock and Salisbury, and secondly the relatively unexposed four-year-old is a son of the all-conquering ten-times champion sire, Sadler's Wells, whose progeny love a bit of cut in the ground.

In the later Soltykoff Handicap, the Official Handicapper might have let Swordplay (3.25) off rather lightly considering his undeniable consistency.

Last time out at Goodwood Swordplay was given plenty to do by Frankie Dettori sitting way out in the boon docks for the first mile, but when he asked the son of Kris to accelerate, the response was immediate as the pair swept past the entire field with imperious ease.

Camberley (4.30) tries to do something he has never done before - win over the trip of one mile in the EBF Classified Stakes.

I marked Paul Cole's four-year-old down as one to follow after suffering interference at a crucial stage when a fast-finishing fifth to Father Thames at Goodwood recently. It was a race run over seven furlongs and the manner with which he was sticking on that death leads me to believe Camberley will be admirably suited to the step up to eight furlongs.

A soggy Lingfield have had to abandon the long-distance contests scheduled for the round course due to waterlogging.

All of the action will therefore be held on the sprint track beginning with the five furlong Renault Trafic Maiden Stakes fancied to fall to Sister In Law (2.00).

Henry Candy's filly should win this with her head in her chest if repeating the bare form of her debut second to the potentially high-class Lipstick at Bath.

Captain Gibson (4.10) must have some sort of chance in division 1 of the HBLB Care Handicap, although he'll need plenty of luck in running considering a maximum field of twenty turn out.

That definitely wasn't the case at Haydock in August when he might as well have been out on the adjoining troublesome stretch of the M6 for all the traffic problems he encountered between the three and one furlong poles.

Jarv (5.10) has solid claims in division 2 of the contest following a decent third to Sammy's Shuffle at Epsom three weeks ago. John Akehurst's filly is sensibly being dropped back a furlong in trip having marginally failed to get home over a mile at the Derby venue