MELROSE AVENUE (2.10) is fancied to pass his biggest test to date by landing this afternoon's Lingfield Derby trial.

Mark Johnston's Middleham-based colt looked a million dollars in the parade ring on his recent reappearance at Catterick prior to slamming his better-fancied stable-mate Takmin.

The Sheikh Mohammed-owned three-year-old has clearly thrived physically over the winter months, strutting around the paddock like a general among his foot soldiers.

It was this confident stature which he transferred into actual kudos once the contest got going in earnest, making every yard of the running under a typically genius-like from-the-front ride by jockey Joe Fanning.

Sadly "Smokin" Joe has been replaced by Kevin Darley, who hopefully will adopt similarly positive tactics aboard Melrose Avenue, who could easily outfox his rivals by pinching an early lead in what could be a tactical affair, seeing as it's such a small field.

With the Michael Jarvis team in exceptional heart, Ayam Zaman (3.20) is a confident, if unoriginal, choice for the later Oaks Trial.

Ayam Zaman ended 2004 on a high with successive wins at Pontefract and then, far more importantly, in Newmarket's Listed Zetland Stakes. Jarvis never sends out his horses unless he's totally convinced they're up for the job in hand, so it's safe to assume his classy filly has been working with plenty of zest on the home gallops.

Ready-made winners don't exactly jump off the page at Beverley but Verite (4.40) performed with sufficient promise on his Musselburgh debut to suggest he'll be on the score-sheet sooner rather than later.

Although the Mark Polgeise-trained youngster was pretty green behind the ears at the Scottish track, he'll have learnt a lot for the experience and with luck will put the knowledge to good use in the Coachman Median Auction Stakes.

The £60,000 Suffolk Stakes has attracted some leading nine-furlong types, including the top-weight and leading contender, Hazyview (3.50).

Hazyview, recently second in a Group 3 race at Sandown, was unbeaten in all three starts at Newmarket last season. Neville Callagan's stable-star clearly loves the place and gets the nod over the much-improved Paul Webber raider, Kew Green.

Even though the Freephone Stanleybet Handicap is one of the most competitive races of the day at Haydock, I still can't resist putting Missperon (4.00) forward as a very strong each-way fancy.

The way Orphan went past his rivals as if they were trees makes Karl Burke's sprinter a massive danger, but Missperon also showed unbelievable speed at Ripon and for me is a filly to keep on the right side of over the coming months.

Best bet, without a shadow of a doubt at Thirsk's evening meeting, is Far Pavilions (7.35) in the Calverts Carpets Handicap.

Alan Swinbank's dual purpose gelding hit the deck in the Scottish Champion Hurdle, an unfortunate mishap which happens all too often in the game of chance under the National Hunt code.

Now back on the level bidding to follow up his earlier success on the Flat at Catterick, Far Pavilions should have too much stamina and speed for the opposition in the £10,000 two-mile feature.

A little earlier on in proceedings, the bang in-form Michael Dods isn't letting the grass grow under Queen's Echo's hooves.

Queen's Echo (6.35) is on the upgrade judged by her second placing to at Warwick on Monday, an encouraging effort which gives her every chance in the seven-furlong Quadnetics Handicap.

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