Star attraction Frankie Dettori pays his first visit to Thirsk for almost eight years tomorrow and can give his supporters plenty to cheer about, especially in the feature race of the day.

Dettori teams-up with Royal Dignitary in the £32,000 Sky Bet Thirsk Classic Trial, the most valuable race ever staged on the course, and the David Loder-trained colt is fancied to score.

It is surely a tip in itself that Newmarket-based Dettori is travelling north to partner Royal Dignitary, a first-time-out winner at Sandown last season before finishing a decent third on the same course.

Strictly on figures, Royal Dignitary has something to find to win tomorrow, but he looks like a horse who could come into his own as a three-year-old and Dettori is hardly teaming-up with for the good of his health.

Among the dangers is the locally-trained Monsieur Bond, the pride and joy of Hambleton-based Bryan Smart and his Pocklington owner Reg Bond.

A high-class juvenile, with an entry in next month's Sagitta 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket, Monsieur Bond will ensure that Royal Dignitary does not have things all his own way.

Dettori also has strong claims on the Don Eddy-trained Dunaskin in the Sky Bet Classified Stakes, and also aboard Indian Spark in the Michael Foster Memorial Conditions Stakes. The latter, trained in Scotland by Jim Goldie, won this six furlongs dash last season and is primed to do so again after two outings.

The £110,000 Gala Casinos Daily Record Scottish Grand National is the showpiece event at Ayr and Gunther McBride, third to Take Control last year, makes plenty of appeal in the hands of Richard Johnson.

Trained by Philip Hobbs, who has such a good record at this meeting - Scotland's most prestigious National Hunt fixture of the year - Gunther McBride finished an excellent second to La Landiere in the Racing Post Chase (a race he'd won 12 months earlier) at Kempton in February.

Spared the exertions of Cheltenham and Aintree, the gelding comes into this four-miler as a fresh horse and such an edge promises to stand him in good stead.

Also worth noting at Ayr are the useful Farmer Jack in the Ashleybank Investments Future Champions Novices' Chase, and In Contrast, a stablemate of Gunther McBride, in the Samsung Electronics Scottish Champion Hurdle.

At Newbury, Bollin Eric, winner of last season's St Leger at Doncaster for Tim Easterby, makes his keenly-awaited reappearance in the Dubai Irish Village Stakes.

A horse who thrived as last season unfolded, Bollin Eric looks the type to improve again this year and although tomorrow's distance of a mile-and-a-half is probably his bare minimum these days, Easterby reports him to be a stronger and more mature horse this term. He should run a big race under his St Leger-winning pilot Kevin Darley.

In the Bet Direct Spring Cup, make a note of my Nap selection Mystic Man, trained at Hambleton by Kevin Ryan and a good winner at Leicester last week.

Saturday's tips:

Thirsk

2.25 Tanara, 2.55 Royal Dignitary, 3.25 Dunaskin, 3.55 Indian Spark, 4.30 Ginger Jack, 5.00 Rectangle.

Ayr

1.45 Farmer Jack, 2.15 In Contrast, 2.50 Kadarann, 3.30 Gunther McBride, 4.05 Interdit, 4.40 Sir Alfred, 5.10 Ghost Rider.

Newbury

1.35 Bollin Eric, 2.05 Mystic Man (Nap), 2.35 Crystal Star, 3.05 Elusive City, 3.40 Honor Rouge, 4.15 Random Quest, 4.50 Alaared.

- Tomorrow's other meetings are at Bangor, Startford and Wolverhampton.

Updated: 13:30 Friday, April 11, 2003