THE right to be crowned this season's top two-year-old filly could well be decided by the outcome of today's Group 1 Cheveley Park Stakes at Newmarket.

Having already bagged a couple of Group 2 races, Mick Channon's Flashy Wings is currently the pretender to the throne, however she's already had a hard campaign and preference is marginally for the thrice-raced Wake Up Maggie (2.10).

Christian Wall clearly knew he had a crackerjack on his hands in view of the fact that Wake Up Maggie landed some hefty wagers when scoring in scintillating style on her Sandown debut.

It's a complete mystery why Wall then sent his filly to Lingfield for an ordinary all-weather event in which she was narrowly beaten after failing to corner with any sort of proficiency.

Thankfully Wall put his thinking cap back on and Wake Up Maggie's next stop was Ireland for a valuable sales event at the Curragh, where she whipped the hide of some smart colts, including Richard Hannon's Cool Creek.

It looked excellent form at the time, an opinion confirmed in no uncertain manner when the latter claimed the sought-after Mill Reef Stakes on a visit to Newbury this month.

The Group 3 Tattersall Stakes for colts and geldings features just one raider from the north, Mark Johnston's Newcastle maiden winner Stepping Up, who takes a massive hike in class for the £60,000 contest.

Although Stepping Up won in decisive fashion at the Tyneside venue, he's at best a lively outsider and only a small each-way bet is recommended, rather than going the whole hog in what looks on paper to be a warm affair.

Bog-like conditions at Ayr should ensure a bevy of long-priced winners with the bookies very much on the ascendancy.

To help keep punters in the black, Jedeydd (4.55) has to be on the short-list for the Western House Hotel Handicap.

During the dim and distant past Jedeydd was rated in the 80s, but his fall from grace over the past couple of years has resulted in a desperate plunge to a lowly mark of 45.

John Wainwright's representative hardly ever gets the soft surface he so dearly needs, therefore now the rain has finally come I fully expect him to be on the premises in the seven-furlong race.

Provided he doesn't get stuck in the mud, Charles Parnell (2.35) seems sure to build on two promising runs to date.

Michael Dods appears to have a very nice individual to go to war with in 2006, however there's still time to open his account as a juvenile.

If his recent staying third over course and distance is anything to go by, he'll be mighty hard to pass this afternoon.

Dods might also be in the money later on in proceedings with the strongly-fancied Balakiref (5.25).

Balakiref simply loves plenty of dig, a point he proved twice at the Scottish course during 2004, when it was equally testing underfoot.

In addition he's been fortunate in drawing stall 16, which should allow him to gain a decent pitch near to the stands rail while others are left floundering in no-man's land in the centre of the track.

* Today's fixture at Hereford has been abandoned after parts of the racecourse were damaged by a ground maintenance machine.

The agrivator decompaction appliance was being used routinely on Wednesday to improve the turf.

However, the machine broke up parts of the soil, leaving the ground unsafe and the meeting was called off last night.

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