MANY a good tune has been played on an old fiddle, so there's no reason why nine-year-old Fantasy Believer (3.45) shouldn't run well at Sandown this afternoon.

Very much a veteran as far as Flat racers are concerned, John Quinn's Malton-based sprinter has dropped to the sort of rating off which he's a stand-out each-way bet for the Variety Club Handicap.

John's stable was recently the subject of Channel 4 spotlight in which he heaped praise on Fantasy Believer, describing him as "a real favourite" to have around the place.

Quinn, a former jump jockey, has steadily built up his training business over the past 12 years, but no horse has been more important to him than the 17-time winning hero, Fantasy Believer.

Famously interviewed for Racing North soon after quitting the saddle, John joked: "They say my weight beat me, but you reach the point when your eye-sight gets worse and the fences are bigger-looking!"

Never short of an intuitive comment and now one of the leading lights on the northern scene, Quinn has Fantasy Believer in the type of order to think career triumph number 18 is a strong possibility.

Bryan Smart's Maze (2.35) puts his unbeaten record on the line when entering the stalls for the seven-furlong Group 3 Solario Stakes.

Smart's son of Dr Fong made a successful debut at Newcastle, prior to a headline-grabbing victory in Royal Ascot's Listed Chesham Stakes, a race in which he finished full of running.

Long-term goals for Maze include both the 2008 2,000 Guineas and Derby, therefore ante-post dabblers need to "get on" this morning, just in case the colt bolts in and his price is cut in half.

The card comes to an end with the sort of tough nursery certain to have bookmakers licking their lips in anticipation of leaving the track with wads of cash in their satchels.

In an attempt to thwart the layers, a decent win and place bet on Arctic Cape (5.25) is the tentative recommendation.

Bred by Mrs R D "Lennie" Peacock at Middleham's Manor Farm Stud, Arctic Cape didn't have to travel more than a few hundred metres to join Mark Johnston's yard for training purposes.

The Cape Cross colt found it tough going on his Ascot introduction, however he didn't leave any shots out on the course when romping home on his only other start at Ayr.

There was more than a faint whiff of burnt fingers when Bauer (2.50) narrowly failed to justify the position of marker leader on his latest Pontefract outing.

Rider Nicky Mackay also came in for some serious flak from disgruntled favourite backers, a situation arising after hold-up tactics resulted in Bauer getting out-paced at a crucial stage of the contest.

One of the better pace judges on the circuit, Eddie Ahern, takes over in the plate for Chester's Listed Handicap, a near mile-and-three-quarter event which looks tailor-made for the combination.

Less than 18 months ago Winged d'Argent was a close-up fifth in the Chester Cup carrying top-weight against a whole host of more-than-useful stayers.

It all then went wrong for the gelding, and as his form bombed connections opted to sell him out of Mark Johnston's yard.

Welsh handler, Bernard Llewellyn, subsequently picked up the pieces and managed to recharge Winged d'Argent's batteries to such an extent that the seven-year-old scored at Nottingham.

Still theoretically with over 20lbs in hand of the days when running in races like the Ascot Gold Cup, Winged d'Argent has the air of a handicap "good thing" for the closing two-miler.

Howard Johnson's decision to fit the first-time headgear on Grand Opera (5.30) could be a winning move for Musselburgh's curtain-raiser.

Most of the available evidence suggests Grand Opera will be suited by this evening's distance of a mile, a step up in trip from the seven furlongs over which the gelding has been operating at this season.

Although Buachaill Dona (7.25) has thus far failed to build on his three wins from five in 2006, the Scottish Racing Handicap seems an ideal opportunity to stage a much-needed revival.

The Dandy Nicholls-trained dasher signposted a return to his best when third at York, a run achieved in arguably more competitive company than he faces this evening.