LAGO DI VARANO can scupper in-form Walter Swinburn's bid for another big prize at Doncaster today.

Swinburn rides Cyrano's Lad in the £25,000-added Tote-Portland Handicap, for which his mount is the likely favourite after his close second to Options Open at York last week.

But Richard Whitaker is rightly hopeful that the York fourth Lago di Varano can reverse the form in this five-and-a-half-furlong event.

"I think he must have a great chance," the trainer said. "I was quite pleased with how he ran at York as he was out of the handicap and he ran well.

"I think five and a half furlongs is his trip. If he had got out of the gates he would have gone very close over a stiff five at Sandown the week before as he made up a lot of bound in the last two furlongs.

"He has also been dropped 2lb by the handicapper so in effect he was carrying 6lb overweight at York!"

Roger Fisher can return to centre stage by taking the Sitwell Arms Mallard Handicap with Embrvonic.

Out West looked a possible future Classic prospect as she scored by 10 lengths on her debut at Beverley last month and she should follow up in the Queen's Own Yorkshire Dragoons Stakes.