Back-to-form Mallia looks the answer to the puzzle posed by the competitive Tote Bookmakers Handicap at Pontefract today. David Barron's gelding struggled to find his form last season following his win in a valuable York handicap the previous year but now appears back to somewhere near his best having won three of his last four starts.

This term the five-year-old returned to action on the turf over seven furlongs at Catterick at the start of the month when he ran well until lack of a recent outing told and he was eased when beaten to finish 11th of 18 behind the well-handicapped Night of Glass, twice a winner since.

At Ripon a week later, back over his favoured six furlongs, he ran on strongly for Royston Ffrench to hold Bee Health Boy by one and three quarter lengths. The runner-up that day re-opposes on 5lb better terms today but Mallia had a bit left in the tank at Ripon and is made the nap selection to land this "showcase" race with the well-drawn Sue Me, one of David Nicholls' four runners, the main danger.

Premier Generation can enjoy a welcome change of luck in the concluding Tote Placepot Handicap.