Rainbow ways can end a barren spell for Barry Hills at Newmarket today. He is set to give his trainer a first British Pattern race victory in nine months by landing the Princess Of Wales's Stakes.

Hills has had an unusually modest time of it in the big events in 2000, and has saddled more than two dozen losers in Group races in Britain since he took the Dewhurst Stakes with Distant Music on this track last October.

Lady Upstage's win in the Pretty Polly Stakes early this month, however, showed that things are starting to look up for the stable. And Rainbow Ways can underline the yard's return to form by lifting today's Group Two contest.

The five-year-old provided one of the few high spots for his trainer to date this term when winning a good handicap at Newmarket on 1,000 Guineas day.

His success under 10st - conceding no less than 24lb to Queen's Prize winner Captain Miller - earned him a rise in grade and he has looked right at home in stiffer company since.

Aljawf can continue to make up for lost time in the Hamilton Rated Stakes. Hopes were high at the start of the season that the three-year-old would develop into a smart sprinter for Ed Dunlop.

Nothing went right for him on his first two starts as he met all kinds of trouble in running in big fields of handicappers at Chester and Newbury and could not even manage a place on either course.

But the colt got back on track with a win at Ripon, where he was very good value for a two-length winning margin. And an 8lb rise in the weights ought not to prevent Aljawf's following up here if his position as ante-post second favourite for the Stewards' Cup is right.

The going at Newmarket has been changed to good to soft after persistent rain on the eve of the three-day July meeting.