Thirsk trainer David Barron will be extra eager to win the Gods Solution Handicap at Catterick tomorrow.

The annual race is named in honour of his former inmate, a prolific winner around Catterick, and Barron can mark the occasion by landing the spoils with Supreme Salutation - provided everything goes just right for the gelding.

The mount of Dean Mernagh, Barron's new stable-jockey, Supreme Salutation is a horse with spade-fulls of ability, but who is something of a character.

Last season, he became exasperating to follow, being slowly away several times, meeting trouble in running in other races and, occasionally, finishing fast, but just too late.

Backing Supreme Salutation to oblige is a precarious business, but, from a stable which has been in cracking form on the all-weather, it could be worth taking a chance on catching the gelding at the first time of asking tomorrow.

Given his natural ability and the fact he is a previous course and distance winner, Supreme Salutation should certainly not be overlooked - even by his sternest of critics.

Patrician Fox showed enough last season to suggest John Quinn's charge has decent prospects in the Springtime Classified Stakes, while Magic Mill would only need to reproduce a sample of his best form to go close in the Forcett Selling Stakes for Glasgow trainer Jim Goldie, who had a winner at Doncaster last week.

In the Whorlton Handicap, punters should look no further than Nowell House, who is awarded the nap in the hands of Jason Weaver.

Mick Easterby's gelding will be in his element on the prevailing soft ground and comes here with his fitness assured after an easy win over hurdles.

Add to that the fact he is a previous course winner and Nowell House makes stacks of appeal.

Fitness from all-weather racing stands horses in good stead on turf in the opening weeks of the season and, on that premise, Westfield Star (5-20) and I Got Rhythm (4-50) are worthy of support.

Conditions will be testing at Nottingham, where heavy ground is forecast should the meet get the go-ahead.

Kieren Fallon, who returned to British action at Wolverhampton today, has several rides during the afternoon. The triple-champion, who missed the remainder of last season after being injured in a fall at Royal Ascot in June, has been in fine form riding in Dubai recently.

Mallia, fit from a successful spell on the sand, can provide Fallon with a winner in the Centenary Club Membership 2001 Handicap.

Richard Quinn, Fallon's principal rival in the title race, is worth following tomorrow, not least aboard Kaiapoi in the Sponsors Lunch Handicap.

The Reg Hollinshead-trained four-year-old was a winner first time out last season and could well do the same tomorrow.

Tomorrow's tip's:

Catterick

2-20 Patrician Fox

2-50 Magic Mill

3-20 Nowell House (NAP)

3-50 Supreme Salutation

4-20 General Hawk

4-50 I Got Rhythm

5.20 Westfield Star

Nottingham

2-10 Bright Spark

2-40 Temples Time

3-10 Kaiapoi

3-40 Festive Affair

4-10 Mallia

4-40 Pride Of India

Updated: 13:10 Tuesday, March 27, 2001