A tremendous card has been assembled for the opening afternoon of the Craven meeting at Newmarket and Obliterator is set to play a leading role in the ebm-papst Feilden Stakes on Wednesday.

The Ger Lyons-trained colt was seen just once last season but created a really strong impression in finishing powerfully to claim a maiden at the Curragh over a mile.

While the bare form appears to be nothing special, the Oratorio colt could do no more than win like he did and is bred to be pretty good as a half-brother to Irish 1,000 Guineas victor Just The Judge.

Lyons has his sights set on the Newmarket Guineas, so this is the perfect reconnaissance mission, but he also holds an Irish Derby engagement and the way he came home at the Curragh strongly suggests nine furlongs on the Rowley Mile should be right up his street.

Shifting Power should take a deal of beating in the CSP European Free Handicap.

This Compton Place colt could easily turn out to be one of the top guns at the Richard Hannon yard this season if he has improved from what was a very taking run at Newmarket in August, and pre-race quotes of 25/1 for the 2000 Guineas might look generous, in hindsight.

A mere shake of the reins from Richard Hughes was essentially enough as he strode clear of Treaty Of Paris, who was left trailing by six lenghts. To put the performance into context, the runner-up was good enough to win the Acomb at York next time out.

The Lanwades Stud Nell Gwyn Stakes has a wide-open look to it, with slight preference for Folk Melody.

With just one run to date, she is open to more improvement than virtually the entire field and holds the right sorts of entries.

That outing in July was a successful one, and saw her move sweetly before showing a nice turn of foot to see off Enraptured, a winner since.

The fourth home, Dancealot, has gone on to have decent form with recent Fred Darling winner J Wonder, so the run looks a solid one and she could turn out to be really smart.

John Gosden is proving relentless in sending out winners at the moment and Provident Spirit is highly likely to be another in the Alex Scott Maiden Stakes.

Probably not one of the real machines of his three-year-old crop, he ran a creditable race on first time out at Doncaster's Lincoln fixture and will be much wiser for it, not to mention better suited by the stiffer test this track produces.

Blue Heron promises to be one of the more exciting horses on show at Cheltenham in the Citipost Novices' Hurdle.

Dan Skelton has enjoyed a fine first season with a training licence and has a horse of real promise in this six-year-old, who built on three encouraging bumper runs to absolutely bolt up on his debut over timber at Chepstow.

Connections will learn much more about what they have as this is clearly a step up, but it was impossible not to be taken with the way he did it.

Thomas Crapper has an excellent course record and can enhance it in the Longcroft Building Services Handicap Hurdle.

Third to The New One as a novice in 2012, three runs towards the back of last year yielded two wins and he topped all that when running a blinder to be second in the Fred Winter at the Festival last month.

A decent surface sees Robin Dickin's seven-year-old at his best so conditions look to have come right.

Red Connect, a staying-on sixth in the Brocklesby, holds outstanding claims in division one of the New Cleverly's Bar And Bistro Maiden Auction Stakes at Beverley, while Voyage A New York can again deliver in the Ellen Timney Foundation "National Hunt" Novices' Hurdle at Sedgefield.

Carpincho has enough about him to eke out success in the michaeltowers.co.uk Master of Sectional Timing Handicap Chase at Southwell.

SELECTIONS

BEVERLEY: 1.25 Thrust Control, 1.55 Red Connect, 2.30 Kylach Me If U Can, 3.05 Lastchancelucas, 3.40 Handwoven, 4.15 Loch Ma Naire, 4.50 Solidarity, 5.25 Gold Chain

CHELTENHAM: 2.05 Blue Heron, 2.40 De La Bach, 3.15 Thomas Crapper, 3.50 Astracad, 4.25 Winged Crusader, 4.55 Karinga Dancer, 5.30 For Two.

DUNDALK: 5.45 Cappella Sansevero, 6.15 Fine Cut, 6.45 Colour Blue, 7.15 Hellenistic, 7.45 Carla Bianca, 8.15 Lord Kenmare, 8.45 Lahinch Classics, 9.15 Rocky Bleier.

NEWMARKET: 1.45 Provident Spirit, 2.20 Flyball, 2.55 Naadirr, 3.30 Shifting Power, 4.05 Folk Melody, 4.40 OBLITERATOR (NAP), 5.10 Munjaz, 5.40 Greeb.

SEDGEFIELD: 4.45 Voyage A New York, 5.15 Grey Life, 5.50 Riguez Dancer, 6.25 Pair Of Jacks, 6.55 Boris The Blade, 7.25 Big Sound, 7.55 Dalmo.

SOUTHWELL: 4.30 Carpincho, 5.00 Gas Line Boy, 5.35 Mon Chevalier, 6.05 Golan Way, 6.35 Pippa Greene, 7.05 Silver Dragon, 7.35 Dubai Sonnet.

DOUBLE: Obliterator and Shifting Power.