Family Man, who has been knocking on the door all season, can finally open his winning account at Thirsk tomorrow when all six races are named after North Yorkshire trainers.

The featured £12,000 Andy Turnell Classified '90' Stakes is the chosen target for Family Man who will have the services of Ray Cochrane as he bids for a long overdue success.

The James Fanshawe-trained gelding, who needs to be held up and produced late in his races, failed by only a length to get the better of the smart Cruinn A Bhord in a competitive handicap over tomorrow's distance of seven furlongs at Newmarket a fortnight ago.

A reproduction of that form here would be enough to see Family Man go one better.

Tim Easterby can do little wrong at present and the Great Habton trainer can lift the Scott Cunningham Nursery Handicap with Rythm N Time, the mount of the likewise in-form Lindsay Charnock.

A Beverley winner two outings ago, Rythm N Time ran a good race in defeat at Chester on her latest start when chasing home the high-class Littlefeather in a six furlongs nursery.

There is nothing of the calibre of Littlefeather in tomorrow's line up and Rythm N Time is fancied to go one better.

In the Kevin Ryan Handicap over two miles, Noufari can get back in the winning groove for Reg Hollinshead and his smart apprentice Paul Quinn.

Nothing if not consistent, Noufari chased home Fantasy Night at Chester last time, having previously scored at Nottingham. He can return to the glory trail here.

The promising Jay Bird from Sir Michael Stoute's Newmarket yard, may prove the answer to the Mark Buckley Maiden Stakes.

At Newmarket, Arkadian Hero is difficult to oppose in the showpiece event, the £20,500 Hopeful Stakes.

Luca Cumani's high-class sprinter gained a thoroughly deserved success at Newbury last month carrying the colours of Michael Tabor, which were much in evidence at York last week when Stravinsky scored a brilliant win for the owner in the Nunthorpe Stakes.

A stylish success tomorrow for Arkadian Hero would almost certainly earn him a tilt at the Haydock Sprint Cup on Saturday week. Talented French jockey Gerald Mosse takes the ride as usual.

Alhawa, who has gone from strength to strength this summer under the shrewd handling of Newmarket trainer Nick Littmoden, can land his fifth win off the reel in the Jack Breheny Showcase Handicap.

The six-year-old gelding, much-improved since stepping up in distance, showed plenty of guts when scoring by a short-head from Fnan, when the pair finished eight lengths clear of the remainder on this course three weeks ago. With accomplished apprentice Neil Pollard in the saddle tomorrow, Alhawa can complete a nap-hand of victories.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.