Aidan O'Brien, responsible for the first two home in last year's Sagitta 2,000 Guineas, has excellent prospects of achieving an encore in the first of the season's Classics at Newmarket tomorrow.

The formidable Tipperary trainer saddles Hold That Tiger and Tomahawk, and the former, the significant choice of number-one jockey Mick Kinane, is fancied to have the edge over his stablemate from his high draw.

Last year, O'Brien's Rock Of Gibraltar won from a high draw, beating his shorter-priced stable-companion Hawk Wing, who was drawn low and was considered an unlucky loser.

Newmarket have taken steps to nullify any effects of the draw this time, but my preference would be for a high-numbered stall in any case, hence the reasoning in going for Hold That Tiger.

The fact is, that the colt is also favourite, having won the Grand Criterium at Longchamp last season before a mighty effort to finish third after a slow start in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile.

As for Tomahawk, runner-up in the Middle Park and the Dewhurst Stakes as a two-year-old, he is already a winner this season, and he comes here on the back of a nightmare run in the French 2,000 Guines Trial at Longchamp, where he failed to gain a clear passage.

With 20 runners, this is a wide-open affair, and among the many other with sound chances are Dermot Weld's unbeaten Refuse To Bend, Kieren Fallon's mount Audience, and the potentially exciting Lateen Sails, the mount of Frankie Dettori.

But looking beyond Aidan O'Brien in Classic races is often a dangerous exercise, and it would not surprise me if Hold That Tiger and Tomahawk do what Rock Of Gibraltar and Hawk Wing did a year ago and dominate the finish.

At Thirsk, the £20,000 Thirsk Hunt Cup takes pride of place, and there is every chance of lightning striking in the same place twice.

Twelve months ago, Tedstale took the honours for Tim Easterby, and the gelding has every chance of gaining a repeat after underlining his well-being with a recent win at Newcastle.

Saturday's tips:

Newmarket

1.45 Ionian Spring, 2.20 Pic Up Sticks, 2.55 Fire Up The Band, 3.35 Hold That Tiger, 4.10 Black Falcon, 4.45 Lord Links, 5.20 Carnival Dancer.

Thirsk

1.55 Shank On Fourteen, 2.25 Smart Predator, 3.00 Golano, 3.30 Raphael, 4.00 Tedstale, 4.35 Home Fleet, 5.10 Certa Cito.

Haydock

1.10 Deano's Beano, 1.40 Altay, 2.10 Millennium Force, 2.45 Open Mind, 3.20 Orientor, 3.50 River Falcon (Nap), 4.25 Tuning Fork.

Updated: 12:31 Friday, May 02, 2003