Tomorrow's third fixture in the Scottish league at Dumfries, the last of the spring series, should see positions stabilised after the previous two races finished with two very different leader boards leaving matters wide open.

Title holder Rob Lee, winner at Birnam, Andy Kitchen and Gordon Riemersma (all interlopers) are contesting the men's event.

However, Tobias Anderson is back from his Easter break at home in Sweden and a fourth place in one of the Swedish world cup trials, and he must once again be the man to beat.

The women's winner is less easy to spot with Hazel Dean, Sarah Pattinson, Heather Hartman and Encara Maturana all in a good ''each way'' bet frame.

Scotland's British internationalists, World Cup training in the Lake District, are the only ingredient missing from what could prove a real burn up.

With Mabie Forest the venue, they miss out too on what might prove a sadly historic occasion for the Scottish sport.

Course planner Ian Turner has been hampered by the latest round of felling in the forest and this is likely to be the last major event to be held there in the foreseeable future - ending a 20-year tradition of Mabie hosting a range of O-races.

National events, Scottish championships, the Jan Kjellstrom International, and two Scottish Six Day Series have all found testing conditions on Mabie's unique terrain and wood mix.

The economic necessities of timber farming now see another sporting, as well as recreational facility, at least as far as orienteering is concerned, go out of commission.