THORNABY GREEN (3.25) holds every chance of maintaining David's Barron's excellent start to the season at Ayr this afternoon.

Barron is flying high in the 2005 trainers' table with 22 winners, not bad seeing as big names such as Messrs Dunlop and Gosden, not to mention the mighty Godolphin, are well adrift of Barron in the title race.

Admittedly, Thornaby Green isn't one of the Thirsk-based handler's superstars, however he normally pays his keep every year and today's Red Square Vodka Handicap represents a relatively soft target.

Having enjoyed a winter holiday, the five-year-old went to Southwell recently and returned with a perfectly respectable third placing on the fibresand.

As a rule Southwell's man-made surface roughly equates to soft ground on turf, therefore the testing underfoot conditions at the Scottish track won't inconvenience the selection one jot.

The same stable could also be in the money if Rising Shadow (4.30) performs up to scratch in the Magner's Irish Cider Handicap.

Rising Shadow probably ran into a very smart cookie when runner-up behind Borderlescott at York, the latter shaping as if he's verging on a Group 3 standard sprinter.

With nothing of Borderlescott's calibre to rattle Rising Shadow's cage, now could be the time to steam in while he's on top of his game.

Karl Burke has Moody Tunes (5.05) in prime fettle, having notched back-to-back victories at Newcastle and Thirsk.

The daughter of Merton Melody was always toying with her rivals at the last-named course, hacking until jockey Pat Cosgrave let off the handbrake, whereupon she shot clear in a matter of strides.

The fact Moody Tunes drops back from one mile to seven furlongs shouldn't be a bother, principally because she possesses plenty of toe at the business end of affairs.

Racing North ten-to-follow pick Tax Free (2.40) heads to Goodwood for the Listed Peters plc Stakes.

Tax Free had little hope on his Newmarket reappearance when racing against the slower near-side rail.

Nevertheless, he still managed to grab third spot while the main action was taking place up the centre.

Fortunately he'll now be operating on a more level playing field, which may enable the progressive four-year-old to collect, possibly at the main expense of stable-mate, Fire Up The Band.

* Neil Callan and Shane Kelly will both face the disciplinary panel of the Horseracing Regulatory Authority today as they appeal against riding bans.

Callan is contesting the two-day suspension he received for careless riding aboard Granny Peel when winning in the Homezone Hot Shots Claiming Stakes at Wolverhampton this month. His hearing begins at 9.30am.

Kelly's hearing is due to start at 10.30am, when he will try to overturn a three-day ban incurred on Skye Boat Song, who finished unplaced in the Kempton For Outdoor Events Top Banded Stakes at the Sunbury track.

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