This is always an exciting time of the year when potentially high-class two-year-olds are pitched in against each other and we get a feel for which of them will be contesting the Classics next season. The clash between some of the most exciting youngsters around in Newmarket's Juddmonte Middle Park Stakes is an appetising affair.

In Earthlight, Mums Tipple and Siskin you have three unbeaten colts, who could all still be anything, but it is the last-named of that trio that I will be keeping a close eye on from up at Ripon.

He has looked a very smart prospect to me so far and his trainer Ger Lyons and jockey Colin Keane are both top-class operators.

Of my own rides at Ripon, I've hopefully got a couple of decent chances. Four Wheel Drive has been running really well all season and I suspect the ground was just a shade too quick for him last time.

He's won at Ripon before, so we know the track isn't a problem. Clearly he has gone up plenty in the weights, but he might not be done with yet and hopefully he can bag another win in the Noel Hetherton Memorial Handicap.

Archi's Affaire has top weight in the Michael Raby Memorial Handicap, but I think he's got a great chance for Michael Dods. He's a very likeable little horse, with a good attitude, and the ground was just much too testing for him last time.

He's been eased another couple of pounds in the ratings for that run and I expect him to produce a much better performance.

It was great to go up to Ayr last weekend and bag a decent winner when Music Society won the Bronze Cup for Tim Easterby.

The trainer's son, Will, had bought him for 9,000 guineas at the sales last year and that was the third race he had won this year - there might be still more to come from him too and he liked the way he stuck his head out for me.

Orlaith didn't run a bad race when she stepped up into Group company for the first time, although I suspect - as I said beforehand - that she might just have preferred a little more ease in the ground.

We got messed about a bit early in the race and got further behind than ideal, but she still ran very respectably and if the going comes back in her favour, she can hopefully win again. I think connections are looking at a race at Maisons-Laffitte in France for her in a couple of weeks' time.

Que Amoro is another one to give a mention to after she finished second in the fillies' Listed race. Unlike some of the others, she probably doesn't want the ground to ease too much now so it's possibly a question of waiting to see what the weather does.

Gale Force Maya is one I mentioned here last week and we were hopeful of a big run from her at Newmarket on Thursday. She hit the front down the outside but a filly of Andrew Balding's suddenly appeared on the rail and caught us - I'd say she was probably very well-handicapped and hopefully we will still get our day with Gale Force Maya.

If we'd been drawn better, it would certainly have been a lot closer. She seems to have taken the race well again, so we'll have to see what else there is for her now.

Paul is sponsored by Racing TV, which is offering a one-month free trial to the leading horseracing channel. The offer ends on Monday. For more, please visit www.racingtv.com/freetrial