APPRENTICE Paul Bradley represents excellent value for his 5lbs weight allowance, a factor well worth taking into account when assessing the prospects of Wilson Blyth (3.30) in the day's most valuable race, the £10,000 Showcase Handicap at Lingfield.

Wilson Blyth has been knocking on the door once or twice so far this season, most notably last time out at Newcastle where he produced a turbo-charged finish to grab third spot behind Anthony Mon Amour and Soaked in an all-age five furlong handicap.

Runner-up Soaked has since boosted the form by collecting at Nottingham, and today's extra furlong is simply the icing on the cake as far as I'm concerned.

Malton-based Andy Turnell doesn't have too many runners at the track, consequently it might be unwise to ignore Noble Pasao (4.00) in the following 10 furlong Champagne Courtyard Stakes.

Turnell's in-form four-year-old is bidding to supplement his recent victory at Thirsk where the gelding overhauled Prince Minata well inside the final furlong.

That particular contest was over a mile and he like Wilson Blyth is fancied to benefit from a step up in distance at the Surrey track.

Not too much to get excited about on the sand at Wolverhampton although a small interest on Offa's Dyke (2.15) in the two-year-old Nursery Handicap is recommended.

He finished a respectable fourth in a significantly stronger event won by the useful juvenile Sir George Turner on the turf at Leicester, an effort which suggests George Duffield's mount is on the upgrade.

Some Mammoth cards at Haydock's evening meeting make winner finding nigh on impossible.

The huge number of entries is almost certainly due to the ease in the ground, which in all probability will throw up one or two surprises.

With this in mind a couple of potential outsiders worthy of serious consideration are Barningham (6.05) and Slip Killick (6.35).

The former patently failed to stay two miles at Beverley last time, while Slip Killip is a big scopey filly who appears to be well in at the weights on the pick of her form over the past couple of years.

Over at Newmarket, Bit Of Luck (7.45) is on a retrieval mission after being backed to favouritism at Ayr in June - only to find himself on the end of an eight length thrashing from Leo's Luckyman.

But seeing as the latter is reckoned to be Classic material by trainer Mark Johnston, Bit Of Luck might just for once have had a perfectly valid excuse.

* Kevin Darley underlined his excellent recent run of form as he completed his eighth seasonal century of winners ahead of schedule at Haydock Park yesterday.

The champion jockey has been unstoppable of late and he showed great persistence as he made it 19 victories in the past 15 days by driving Santisima Trinidad to a half-length defeat of Polish Paddy in the Telindus Handicap.

It took him to three figures five days earlier than he managed last year, when he won the riders' title for the first time.