DAKOTA RAIN (4.00) rates the top bet at Newcastle this afternoon in the £8,000 Tarmac Handicap.

Trained just 20 miles south of the track by Richard Guest at Brancepeth, Dakota Rain was sent much further afield on his latest start when so nearly beating Stoic Leader in a thrilling Musselburgh duel last Thursday.

Guest's four-year-old only lost out by a matter of inches on that occasion, showing his first signs of real form since leaving the powerful Michael Jarvis yard at the backend of 2005.

Some punters might be put off by the fact Dakota Rain's sole career victory came over one-mile, however he appears to possess plenty of speed and ultimately today's seven furlong trip may yet prove to be his optimum distance.

In the opening Archibald Nursery, Always Best (2.30) has been allotted a featherweight despite having won with relative ease at Leicester in July.

Mark Johnston's colt is not only trained at Middleham, but was also bred at Manor Farm Stud in the North Yorkshire town, a factor which is certain to create plenty of local interest.

Whether or not the handicapper is right we shall soon see, however my gut feeling says Always Best has a couple of pounds in hand for the ever-reliable Joe Fanning, set to do the steering in the saddle.

The bookmakers may need to don their tin hats for the Esh Charitable Trust Handicap because Leo McGarry (3.300 is sure to attract massive market support.

The southern raider has won his last couple of races, putting up an especially impressive performance when slamming Vice Admiral by four lengths at Nottingham six days ago.

Leo McGarry must carry a 6lbs penalty for that cakewalk, nonetheless on all known evidence the extra weight surely won't be enough to stop the Stuart Williams-trained three-year-old from completing his hat-trick.

Michael Dods plays his trump card at Pontefract where Best Prospect (3.50) is fancied to take the feature race of the meeting, the £15,000 Polar Castleford Connect Handicap.

Generally speaking Newmarket form is rock-solid and Best Prospect's 10-1 triumph at headquarters justified the high opinion in which he is held by Dods.

The recent step up to a mile-and-a-half clearly suited the improving four-year-old, who may have most to fear from Alan Swinbank's ultra-consistent gelding, Go Solo.

l Cool Ebony made it two from two at Bath for Darlington trainer Michael Dods with a runaway four-length call over Signal Hill in the World Bet Exchange - wbx.com Handicap.

Dods' assistant Ross Carson said: ''We are now two from two at Bath as Flying Tackle won for us here a few years ago.

''This horse is getting better all of the time and hopefully he will win again. He is in again on Monday at Thirsk.''

Signal Hill's jockey Liam Jones was handed a five-day suspension (August 19-23) for careless riding after allowing his mount to drift right, causing Shane Kelly to be unseated from Piano Player. Kelly was taken to hospital with a suspected fractured hip.

l Compensation for jockeys sidelined through injury will increase by five per cent from the start of this month. The level of compensation, particularly in relation to temporary injuries, had been frozen since March 2003 due to the financial position of the Professional Riders Insurance Scheme.