Double Oscar appeals as a solid bet in today's Anthony Fawcett Memorial Stakes, the opening event on a decent York card. The selection is one of no less than five representatives sent out by David Nicholls but appears to have the best chance of the quintet.

A hardy performer who thrives on his racing, he has taken time to find his form this season but that is par for the course. His form could be politely described as in-and-out but he gave signs on his latest start that it was a good spell approaching when third at Pontefract on Monday evening.

Furthermore, he has been frequently partnered by inexperienced apprentices. while Francis Norton is in the saddle here, riding off a real featherweight.

Now rated 67 after a string of below-par efforts, Double Oscar is some 12lb lower than when blitzing a good field at Ascot two years ago and is weighted to run up a sequence if he does return to something like his best form.

Despite fears over the prospect of fast ground, Rum Pointer gets the nod in the Shepherd Rated Stakes. Tim Easterby's gelding was enormously impressive when making all at Redcar last week and is potentially thrown-in with just a 3lb penalty.

Fire Dome can complete a five-timer in the Blue Bicycle Rated Stakes at York. The eight-year-old's latest success came in a hot six-furlong handicap at Epsom last Saturday when he landed the concluding race on the Derby programme with a smooth victory over Further Outlook and Royal Result.

The outcome must have been hard to swallow for David Nicholls, the trainer of both the second and third, as he had been responsible for the bulk of Fire Dome's career.