THERE'S every chance of a northern rider being crowned champion jockey at the end of the current Flat season in the light of Malton-based Robert Winston's rapid rise to the top.

At the start of the year Winston didn't have a prayer with the likes of Fallon and Dettori still on the block, but that was before Kieren joined Aidan O'Brien's Irish operation and Frankie broke his collar bone in an ugly fall at Sandown.

Remarkably, Winston is now leading the jockey's table and with mounts like Skyelady (3.15) at Sandown he's got every chance of pushing main rival Jamie Spencer all the way in the race for the title.

The form of Skyelady's most recent second placing at Newmarket is copper-bottomed, however it is the fact the daughter of Dansili steps up to seven furlongs for the first time in the Listed BT Challenge Star Stakes which really takes the eye.

There's also plenty to like about Quality Street (2.45), Winston's conveyance in the Cox Insurance Handicap.

Quality Street was cleverly claimed by current connections having won on her extremely belated three-year-old debut. She's proved that initial success was no fluke by making the previous multiple scorer, Ashes, pull out all the stops at Windsor, a performance that in the context of today's five-furlong sprint is pretty smart.

Another filly hitting the headlines for similar reasons this term is Bath-bound Micheals Pride (5.10), the valiant winner of three races from her last seven starts.

It was actually so nearly four at Hamilton a week ago because the Middleham improver appeared to have her rivals well and truly cooked until mugged right on the jam-stick by fast-finishing mare Millagros.

David Allan heads to Doncaster where he's reunited with Ryedane (7.30), fancied to defy top-weight in the Walkabout Classified Stakes.

Allan gave Ryedane a peach of a ride when coming from last to first to pinch the spoils in a well-contested handicap at Catterick on only his second outing of 2005.

On all known evidence it appears there's plenty more petrol left in Ryedane's tank, therefore he looks like he could be thrown in at the weights for the £10,000 feature on the Town Moor.

Allan's hopes of completing a double on Tanforan in the later one-mile event might easily be thwarted by, yes you've guessed, that man Winston again.

He is due to fly from Sandown to get the leg up on Along The Nile (8.30), who is fully expected to complete his hat-trick having won despite encountering a good deal of trouble in running at Haydock.

* Bookmakers cannot decide on an outright market leader for next month's totesport Ebor at York with several horses disputing favouritism for Europe's richest handicap.

The weights were published yesterday and those prominent in the betting include Luca Cumani's duo Lone Soldier Three (9st 6lb) and Zeitgeist (8st 12lb), who share top spot in the sponsor's list on 10-1 with the Dermot Weld-trained Orpington (9st 5lb).

Damian Walker, totesport spokesman, said: ''Cumani is going for his second successive Ebor following his victory with Mephisto last year and we are taking no chances with his two main prospects.

''Both horses are in terrific form and at the moment we can't separate them."

Get more racing online at www.racing-north.co.uk.