After making his choices, Janus (Colin Woods) offers an update on his Racing North ten-to-follow list.

THOROUGHBREDS are notoriously delicate, so it's no surprise triumph and tragedy, plus a bit of everything in between, has already touched the fortunes of the horses touted in the 2006 Racing North ten-to-follow list.

Let's begin with two major positives, Borderlescott and Rio Riva, both of whom have won their only outing to date at combined odds of 21-1, which means overall we're exactly a fiver in profit to a £1 level stake on all runners.

In an industry where the bookmakers generally hold the upper hand that's excellent news, and even more pleasingly there are definite grounds for optimism of maintaining the current status quo over the next few months.

Rio Riva got the ball rolling with a splendid length-and-three-quarter 9-1 success at Redcar on April 17, clocking the fastest comparative time of the day on the eight furlong straight course.

"We purposely swerved the Lincoln as we didn't want him to have a hard race on bag ground. He's been gelded since last season and that has helped him relax," revealed Steve Brown, husband of winning trainer, Julie Camacho.

Brown is a key player in Camacho's Malton-based operation, and doubtless the couple will be eyeing a big-money target such as Royal Ascot's Hunt Cup, or something similarly high profile as the summer progresses.

As far as rewarding starting prices are concerned, Borderlescott did marginally better by notching a 12-1 victory on his York reappearance last week.

Robin Bastiman's speedball made every yard of the running in the six furlong contest, narrowly claiming the near £13,000 first prize on a rain-sodden Knavesmire.

"He got a bit tired towards the finish, but was entitled too as it was his comeback run," explained winning jockey, Royston French, who has surely booked his ticket for both Royal Ascot and Glorious Goodwood aboard Borderlescott.

At the other end of the spectrum and on a far more sombre note, the ten-to-follow has sadly become nine, owing to the death of Shalapour.

Third-home for John Oxx in the 2005 Irish Derby, great things were expected of the classy colt, who recently joined Mark Johnston, but the dreams turned to dust when Shalapour collapsed and died on Middleham Moor in April.

"He cantered up and walked off the gallops, then started to stagger and keeled over, most likely suffering a heart problem or burst aorta," revealed Johnton.

Having reported the good and bad, what has occurred in between for the other seven horses still standing?

Despite boasting three runs apiece, Steel Blue and Hiddensee haven't enjoyed even a sniff of success and are struggling, however at least their respective handicap ratings are falling in commensurate fashion.

Crosspeace and Hernando's Boy have each snaffled some place money without threatening to win, nevertheless it would be unwise to write either off yet, especially as the pair possess the potential to thrive during the autumn.

In the more immediate future, Taxman and My Paris ran with a good deal of promise on their latest forays to Newmarket, a brace of excellent performances which suggests they'll be scoring sooner, rather than later.

Finally to the one many folk envisaged would be the star of the show, the flashy Nakheel, complete with four white socks and cream-coloured blaze down his handsome forehead.

The 2,000 Guineas candidate came though the winter in good enough fettle to attract significant ante-post support, only for injury to thwart Nakheel's Classic aspirations and put a few more coppers in those lucky bookies' satchels.