JUST like his father Jack, Alan Berry has proved extremely adept at training sprinters.

Today at Thirsk the Lancashire-based handler sends another of his speed merchants, Gdansk (2.30), into White Rose country to contest the five- furlong dash for the Hambleton Classified Stakes.

Gdansk, a course and distance scorer, made a pleasing reappearance when fifth to Alaster Smellie at Newcastle. Although well-backed that day, there's a good chance he will have come on significantly for the race.

Michael Dods is steadily picking up the pieces following a nightmare 2001 season. In order to help remedy the situation he had a good clear-out of the has-beens in his Denton, near Darlington, stables and introduced some new blood into the yard.

The fresh stock included the ex-Jeremy Glover-trained Mantles Pride (4.00), a consistent sort of performer who always looked as if he might be a useful recruit to the Dods team.

Michael will have been pleased by the way Mantles Pride ran on his reappearance at Newcastle when chasing home Arc, and with the benefit of his near plum draw in the No 2 stall, the seven-furlong Sinderby Handicap is there for the taking.

Those pundits who had Henry Cecil three parts written off after a poor 2001 campaign might soon be eating their words.

The ten-times former champion trainer had a winner at headquarters this week and could easily follow up with Sparkling Water (3.40) at Newbury.

Cecil's colt never finished out of the first two as a juvenile, a tremendous overall effort since arguably all four of his starts were at distances well short of his best, according to his fairly stout pedigree.

It's therefore quite possible to assume the step-up to a mile-and-a-quarter on his comeback might bring about even further improvement in the handsome son of Woodman.

Ten-to-follow picks Smart Predator and Fantasy Believer both turn out in the preceding £15,000 Showcase Handicap.

Although Fantasy Believer has already had a run, I prefer the prospects of Smart Predator (3.10). John Quinn's powerful grey has gone from strength-to-strength over the past three years and many good judges reckon there is even more to come from the lightning fast six-year-old.

Ayr's two-day Scottish National Meeting gets underway with a fairly run-of-the-mill Novices' Hurdle.

Khan Kicker (2.20), a hard-held winner at Kelso recently in the hands of J P McNamara, is finally fulfilling his early promise and looks a good bet to complete the double.

Lenny Lungo has declared his stable-star The Bajan Bandit (4.20) for the valuable Royal Bank Of Scotland Hurdle, even though the ground is faster than ideal.

If the forecast overnight rain does not materialise, there's still a fair chance that The Bajan Bandit will not go to post. However, if Lungo does not withdraw his horse, expect a big run from the classy seven-year-old, who incidentally will surely be even better once he turns his attention to fences.