LOCALLY-TRAINED My Paris (4.30) has a fantastic chance of lifting this afternoon's Thirsk Hunt Cup.

Kevin Ryan's progressive four-year-old only has to travel around six miles from his base at Sutton Bank to line up for the Tote-sponsored £20,000 one-mile handicap.

Ryan tuned up My Paris by despatching him down south to Newmarket 18 days ago. At odds of 33-1 he was clearly not expected to win, however the selection made a mockery of that starting price by running a superb race to fifth behind the near Group class gelding Jedburgh.

A single-figure draw, plus the ability to figure prominently from the second the stalls fly open, are vital at Thirsk and seeing as My Paris matches the two criteria, a bold show is on the cards.

From a prudent betting perspective it is necessary to note that in addition to My Paris, Kevin also runs Cardinal Venture in the eight-furlong feature.

Cardinal Venture, a previous winner at the course, is not so well drawn as his stable-mate but he's a battle-hardened handicapper and is therefore well worth a small each-way saver.

For the preceding seven-furlong totesport Handicap, Snap (3.55) very much takes the eye.

Snap, who won twice at the track during a lucrative 2004 season, looked as if he just needed the run when a fast-finishing fourth on his recent Southwell reappearance.

Mark Johnston's four-year-old will likely be dashed to the front right from the outset of the £14,000 race, tactics that often pay handsome dividends at a course where front-runners positively thrive.

Although the 2000 Guineas makes up the centre-piece of the action at Newmarket, there's nothing wrong with the supporting card, which includes the valuable Group 3 Palace House Stakes.

Despite an extremely high-class field, it's impossible to get away from the certain warm favourite, Ashdown Express (2.35).

Built like a bulldozer with a powerful engine to match, Ashdown Express, runner-up in both the 2004 Group 1 July Cup and on his comeback race when mugged right on lollipop by Quito, is an enviably consistent sprinter who generally gives his supporters a decent run for their money.

David Nicholls is no stranger to big-race success at headquarters, so it's not hard to envisage a barnstorming effort from Lafi (3.45), a leading contender for the £32,000 Ladbroke Stakes.

Lafi left the bookies begging for mercy when landing a gamble reputed to be well in excess of £1m in last year's Wokingham Stakes at Royal Ascot.

It's never easy to tell beforehand whether trainer Dandy Nicholls has his horses fully wound up, so best let the market talk and if it does speak in Lafi's favour, then it's normally time to lump on.

Even though Tim Easterby concentrates mainly on the Flat these days, it's often profitable to follow his jumps runners, such as Uttoxeter-bound Stone Cold (5.10).

Tim's diminutive gelding had been off for a whopping 63 weeks when finishing on the heels of the principals at Market Rasen earlier this month.

A close study of the VT footage from the contest cunningly reveals that Stone Cold appeared to be going best of all until lack of peak fitness told approaching the final fence.

Russ Garritty did not punish his mount unduly as soon as he realised they were beaten that day, kindness which could easily be repaid in spades come the finale of the two-and-half-mile Handicap Chase.

The old "horses for courses" adage very much applies to Hexham, where former track-and-trip scorer Fishki's Lad (6.25) shouldn't be far away in the Betting Exchange Handicap Hurdle. Northallerton-based Edwin Tuer has used his noddle wisely and picked out this race specifically for his ten-year-old, who relishes the climb to the winning post here.

Get more racing online at www.racing-north.co.uk.