DON'T be surprised if there's a flood of money for Father Thames (2.20) at Newmarket this afternoon.

James Fanshawe doesn't make too many mistakes with his improving three-year-olds, a remark which most certainly applies to the selection, the subject of a substantial gamble when scoring in decent company over seven furlongs at Goodwood last time.

The autumn is most definitely the correct time to be taking on his elders, and Father Thames, a lightly-raced strapping individual, has the sort of engine guaranteed to produce sufficient horse power to make his presence felt in the one mile Unicorn Homes Listed race at Headquarters.

In the following Group 1 Middle Park Stakes, Johannesburg (2.55) is expected to confirm his position as the season's leading two-year-old colt.

On the evidence of what we have seen so far - a string of five straight successes including a clear-cut win over French challenger Zipping in the Prix Morny at Deauville, Aidan O'Brien's Irish raider has little to fear from his six rivals in the £150,000 event.

In-form Astonished (3.25) bids to complete a three-timer in the five furlong Rous Stakes.

Lynda Ramsden has had a pretty disappointing overall season with her younger horses seemingly failing to fire.

However, Astonished has flown the stable's flag in dashing style, posting successive wins at both Nottingham and Doncaster.

Jockey Kieren Fallon gets the leg up on Astonished as well as Effervesce (5.00) in the closing sprint handicap.

Mark Buckley's filly was a desperately unlucky track and trip loser way back in June where she would have won by a country mile with anything like a clear run.

She carried the nap selection that day so in a sense owes "one" to faithful followers of this column. Predicted hock-deep ground at Nottingham can only enhance the prospects of Bowlers Boy (2.30) - sure to be in his element when the mud starts flying.

John Quinn's sprinter has yet to come good this term and as a result has dropped down to a more-than-favourable mark.

The mile-and-a-quarter Sputnik Nursery is the longest race held so far this season for two-year-olds, arguably an unfair distance for ones so young to travel, especially on a testing surface.

My idea of the winner is Dadeland (4.40), third in a red-hot one mile nursery at Ayr's Western Meeting 13 days ago.

Mick Easterby's Desert Style filly was doing all of her best work close home on that occasion, suggesting today's extra two furlongs will not come amiss.

Catch-me-if-you-can merchant Forte Forte (5.10) has a great chance of completing a double in the finale, a one-mile-two-furlong handicap.

Graham Gibbons gave Sue Wilton's flying front runner a more than positive ride at Chester recently, blasting out of the stalls and never seeing another rival as the combination went further and further clear.

There's not too many promising riders emerging from the jump jockey ranks at present, although one exception is Lee Vickers.

He partners Kingdom Emperor (2.45) in the two-and-half-mile Handicap Hurdle at Hereford for Midlands handler Bill Clay.

Known to be something of an enigmatic character, Lee seems to be the only one able to get a decent tune out of Kingdom Emperor, who has dropped to a ludicrously low rating off which he must surely win soon.

l There were two defectors yesterday from the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe-Lucien Barriere.

The withdrawals of Dano-Mast and the John Gosden-trained Hill Country has reduced the number of acceptors to 17 for the big race at Longchamp on Sunday.

But today is the supplementary stage and this could see two additions to the field.

Sir Mark Prescott's Foreign Affairs, winner of the John Smith's Cup at York, has emerged as a surprise possible contender while the Andre Fabre-trained Diamilina is also expected to be added to the race.

The going at Longchamp has softened further following seven millimetres of rain at Longchamp overnight, easing to 4.3 on the penetrometer scale.

l Tomorrow's National Hunt meeting at Hexham was called off yesterday in the interests of effective foot-and-mouth control.

Although Hexham racecourse is more than three kilometres away from infected premises, the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has requested that racing should not go ahead.

The British Horseracing Boardhas been unable to switch the fixture to another course and is looking into the possibility of getting a replacement fixture on Monday