Tachycardia could provide her trainer Barry Murtagh with a welcome tonic at Musselburgh's first evening meeting of the year tonight.

The 30-year-old Irishman, based at Ivegill just south of Carlisle, suffered nasty head injuries on Wednesday when the horse he was riding out stumbled and threw him face first into a stone wall.

Murtagh was allowed home from hospital at the weekend after he underwent surgery to insert a metal plate and 25 stitches around his left eye. ''The doctors say Barry was lucky not to have lost an eye,'' said his wife Sue, who is expecting the couple's first child in September.

''I was worried over the first few days as he had a big tube coming out of his head and was on oxygen. However he's back home now and he's been enjoying the sunshine and just needs a bit of rest.''

Murtagh has enjoyed plenty of success over jumps but Tachycardia, who faces 10 rivals in the Uncle Freddie Selling Stakes, will be only his second runner on the Flat since taking out a licence for the level a couple of months ago.

''She can only go better than my first runner, which was Headmaster at Thirsk on Friday, as he finished stone last,'' Murtagh said. ''This is a bad old race and I'm sure Tachycardia will put a much better show. She used to be trained in the south by Roland O'Sullivan and she won two races on the all weather last year.''

The mare is partnered by Willie Supple, the fourth brother of the same name to be riding in Britain at the present, and he is just back from the United Arab Emirates where he was champion jockey in Dubai last season.

He has recently joined forces with Jonjo O'Neill and he rides Callitwhatyouwant for the Skelton trainer in the opening May Maiden Auction Stakes. The juvenile was second to an above-average winner in the shape of Ballina Lad at Newcastle earlier this month.

qKieren Fallon, the North's prodigal son, returned to his old stamping-ground with a near 104-1 four-timer at Ripon yesterday.

Fallon, a native of Co Clare, came over to cut his teeth in Britain as an apprentice to Jimmy FitzGerald's Malton yard. He then made his name with the Ramsdens in Sandhutton before being snapped up to ride for Henry Cecil in Newmarket. The Irishman came back to show northern racegoers what they have been missing with a foursome thanks to Moratorium, First Maite, Party Romance, and Gymcrak Premiere.

Meanwhile, Pips Magic gave Uplawmoor trainer Jim Goldie the first two-year-old winner of his career in the maiden stakes.