RYAN'S QUEST, a filly with speed to burn, has the pace to open her account in the opener at Catterick this afternoon.

Karl Burke's juvenile hails from an extremely quick family, numbering this season's Stewards Cup winner Guinea Hunter amongst her close relatives.

And she has clearly inherited plenty of the families' ability on the evidence of her most recent run when only beaten a half-length by Encore Ma Fille over the minimum trip at Ripon.

Catterick's even sharper five furlongs should suit Ryan's Quest, a hard-pulling type who is probably best allowed to bowl along in front rather than being restrained for a late charge.

By far and away the most interesting race on the card is the six furlong Ullswater Classified Stakes.

On some of his old form, notably his success in the 1999 William Hill Trophy, Pepperdine would wipe the floor with today's opposition. But such has been his steady decline since that time, he cannot be supported with any confidence.

The alternatives include former track and trip winner, Brecongill Lad, plus the Tim Easterby-trained Soba Jones (3.15). The latter has not had the best of luck of late, constantly having to contend with a succession of poor stalls' positions.

In such a small field, the four-year-old does not have any worries on that score and is taken to regain the winning thread.

Beverley's stiff uphill home straight has found out Trouble Next Door (4.15) on both of his last two outings.

Catterick's much flatter configuration should suit Nick Littmoden's Newmarket raider far better as will be the mile-and-a-half trip.

Richard Whitaker travels Pop The Cork (4.00) all the way from Wetherby down to Brighton for the Brewer And Sons Handicap.

The long journey in the horse box should not however worry the four-year-old sprinter, who won twice in the space of 24 hours at Musselburgh in Scotland last week. A substantial punt at the popular Sussex venue went wildly astray on Red Conquest (4.30) just over a fortnight ago.

To be fair to Red Conquest, the contest didn't really pan out as expected and he was always struggling to lay up with the leaders, which included the eventual winner, Lara Falana. Provided the early gallop not so fierce, Clive Brittain's connections have a fair chance of recouping losses in the Grand Hotel Classified Stakes.

Annabel King's stable is on a winning roll at present and May Queen Megan (5.30) looks like getting a further piece of the action in the closing ten furlong Amateur Riders' Handicap.

The eight-year-old mare is bidding for a fifth success this term, having gone in at Nottingham twice, as well as Wolverhampton and Pontefract.