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Demilion can make a successful transition to turf on the second day of the new season at Doncaster.
The grey son of Roaring Lion did not make his debut until mid-November, but there was plenty of promise to be taken from his third place at Wolverhampton.
He was perhaps a little disappointing on his second start at the same venue the following month, but bounced back to be placed once more at Lingfield next time.
The combination of those three efforts earned him an opening handicap mark of 74, a rating which Charlie Johnston's charge exploited when winning comfortably at Wolverhampton early in the new year.
The runner-up has won since to give that form some credibility and Demilion may be capable of defying a 7lb rise in the Autism In Racing Handicap, assuming he handles the testing conditions on his first start on the grass.
The Karl Burke-trained Overrule gets the nod in the Made In Doncaster St Leger Novice Stakes.
The 100,000 guineas yearling purchase caught the eye when fourth on his debut here in October and it was no great surprise to see him get off the mark at the second time of asking at Redcar.
Overrule made every yard of the running on the latter occasion and was not hard pressed in winning by a couple of lengths.
The fact that victory came in heavy ground is clearly a big positive ahead of his reappearance.
Aleezdancer is of interest in a fiercely competitive Mental Health Awareness Handicap.
A maximum field of 22 runners have been declared for the six-furlong contest and with several making their first starts of 2023, it is a difficult puzzle to solve.
Kevin Ryan's Aleezdancer has plenty going for him, though, having won and run well with ease in the ground and he is only 4lb higher in the weights than when beating the high-class Dakota Gold at Ripon last summer.
He should go well if fit enough to do himself justice after six months off the track.
Nicky Henderson has his string in excellent form heading into the final stages of the jumps season and can add to his tally wit Arclight at Ascot.
Formerly trained on the Flat by Sir Mark Prescott, the four-year-old won her first two starts over hurdles, including a clear-cut defeat of the high-class Greyval on her Doncaster debut.
Greyval turned the tables in a Listed contest at the same track in January, but Arclight ran perfectly well to finish second and her conqueror again showed her quality when winning at Huntingdon recently.
Returning from a couple of months off, Arclight must be a major player as she enters the handicap arena from an opening perch of 119 in the Royal Ascot Racing Club Juvenile Handicap Hurdle.
Frere D'Armes can complete his hat-trick for Dan and Harry Skelton in the LK Bennett Handicap Chase.
The six-year-old is two from two over fences and his two-and-a-quarter-length defeat of subsequent Betfair Hurdle winner Aucunrisque when last seen scoring at Newbury in November reads well.
Frere D'Armes must contend with an 8lb rise on his return from a winter break, but that rise does not look insurmountable for a horse who may still be on an upward curve.
SELECTIONS:
ASCOT: 1.50 Mylesfromwicklow, 2.25 William Cody, 3.00 Arclight, 3.35 Frere D'Armes, 4.10 The Imposter, 4.45 Ruthless Article, 5.20 Espoir De Romay.
DONCASTER: 1.35 Star Angel, 2.10 DEMILION (NAP), 2.45 Overrule, 3.20 Aleezdancer, 3.55 Flyin' Solo, 4.30 Mohi, 5.05 Burj Malinka, 5.40 Indian Sounds.
DOWNPATRICK: 1.40 Smooth Player, 2.15 Winding River, 2.50 Steppenwolf, 3.25 Soldaro, 4.00 The Jam Man, 4.35 Shes Some Doll, 5.10 Shantou Show.
LEOPARDSTOWN: 2.00 Bold As Love, 2.35 Bold Discovery, 3.10 Impact Warrior, 3.45 Denmark, 4.20 Valiant King, 4.55 Dunum, 5.30 Lauroline.
DOUBLE: Demilion and Arclight.
