PERCY HUSSEY's two-year-old, NAVAL COMMANDER ran an improved race last Wednesday but found ETERNAL STAR much smarter in a fast-run mile, 1:39.1, which buys him another chance of getting off the mark in tomorrow's 1500-metre Richard Ashenheim Cup.

Starting favourite for the third time in as many outings, NAVAL COMMANDER tried hard to reel in ETERNAL STAR but the Gresford Smith-trained runner was not for catching, posting a decent time, which could earn him a top-four finish in the Jamaica Two-Year-Old Stakes come Boxing Day.

NAVAL COMMANDER returns with the advantage of having his main rivals, ALLTHEBEST, CLASSIC BEAU and THE REAL PRINCE, behind in his three runs and represents a five-star banker for STAR/Track Price Plus Pick-6 players.

Tomorrow is set to be a form-player's day when accumulators could pay off big time for the brave at heart, especially with Track Price's Pick-6 Plus mechanism doubling winning vouchers.

Exercise eye-catchers

A few in-form runners and exercise eye-catchers are on tomorrow's card, starting with the first three races, which should be won by CHANGE THE RULE, FIDDLE STICKS and MACHISMO.

Wayne DaCosta's American-bred three-year-old debutant, CHANGE THE RULE, looks good in the 1000-metre straight first race. The grey gelding appears to be a well-forward sort, clocking 1:00.2 from the gate last Saturday morning and an easy 1:01.1 five days earlier.

Eddie Hamilton's FIDDLE STICKS is down in class and should outfinish a bunch of horses coming up from $180,000 claiming, all suspect on the round course. FIDDLE STICKS' last two efforts, although at 1400 metres, makes her good enough to bank on.

She was never worse than fourth when beaten by MARKET BRIDLE, CHIEF COUNCILLOR and SAMBA DANCER on November 15 and chased MR BUTCHER into the lane on October 8.

Anthony Nunes' MACHISMO is back among Open Allowance horses after his big effort in the Grade One None Such Sprint on October 18, third, by a length and a half, behind CHADMAN and NASATOL.

At one stage, he appeared to have headed off CHADMAN a furlong out and only lost second close home, too used up to hold NASATOL at bay.

Elsewhere on the card, RIGGED TO WIN should outfinish BLUE MARLIN in the fourth at 1200 metres and LIL' TIGER is back at 1000 metres straight in the fifth after chasing MISS EILEEN and HONEY BUNNY to the final furlong on Superstakes Day.

SOY MUJER should take apart $180,000 claimers in the sixth race for the Eggie Sutherland Memorial at 2000 metres after finishing fourth among $220,000 claimers on October 29.

FROMHERETOETERNITY is set to go all the way in the eighth at 1000 metres straight among maiden three-year-olds and ROYAL MAJESTY should return from a lay-up with a bang, working too good to lose at 1200 metres, galloping 1:15.4 last Tuesday morning.