ON a day when winner finding looks devilishly difficult, Damelza (3.35) may yet come to punters' rescue at Thirsk.

Tim Easterby's filly created an extremely favourable impression when finishing in third spot on her Doncaster debut in July.

But instead of rushing back to the well, Easterby has given her 36 days to recover, a sensible ploy which smacks of typical Yorkshire pragmatism.

If as expected Damelza comes on 7-10lbs then the daughter of the successful sire Orpen might have the legs in division two of the seven-furlong coralpoker.com Maiden Stakes.

Mark Johnston's Muzdaher (4.10) is on the comeback trail after a disastrous Redcar defeat - finishing fifth - despite going off at the incredibly skinny odds of 6-4 market leader. Muzdaher wasn't actually beaten by that far, but more importantly, the race has thrown up a couple of good winners since.

So maybe it wasn't such a bad run after all, an assertion underlined by analysis of the speed figures which succinctly reveal the selection actually ran to the same standard of his previous victory Carlisle.

Michael Dods has been playing a waiting game with Penny Whisper, but now that the ground has come right for his filly at Newmarket she should be of interest in the Renault Traffic Nursery.

Penny Whisper (2.50) won with a great deal of grit and determination on her latest start at Newcastle.

Dods now shrewdly opts to up his charge up in trip to one-mile, a distance well within her scope, which combined with a featherweight should help make in two-in-a-row for County Durham raider.

James Bethell had high hopes for True Magic (7.00) at the start of the year, but so far she's failed to deliver.

On the strength of a brace of quick-fire successes at Leicester and Thirsk in 2004, True Magic is a pretty capable individual and I believe Bethell's judgement may well be vindicated at Newcastle.

The Middleham-trained representative certainly shaped as if she was on the way back with a creditable third at Carlisle, which together with an excellent high draw in stall 18, and Joe Fanning doing the steering, sets the seal on a potentially money-spinning wager.

There are grounds to believe that Press Express (7.30) was a shade unfortunate to get caught on the line at Redcar's weekend fixture.

Michael Bell's three-year-old was out on his own for fully three furlongs, and not unnaturally for one so inexperienced, before losing concentration and relinquishing his lead in the post's shadow.

It's a scenario unlikely to be repeated at the Tyneside track, allowing Press Officer to get his just reward in the nine-furlong Betting Exchange Handicap.

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