THE official film of Red Nose Day 2005 is a feel-good family adventure, produced by the same team who made Babe.

Like that delightful, heart-warming fable, Racing Stripes combines live action and innovative computer generated animation to give voice to a menagerie of animals, insects and birds.

During a thunderstorm, a travelling circus accidentally leaves behind a baby zebra (voiced by Frankie Muniz), who is discovered shivering with fright by horse farmer Nolan Walsh (Bruce Greenwood).

The kind widower takes the foal home to his Kentucky homestead where his young daughter Channing (Hayden Panettiere) christens the zebra Stripes and adopts him as a pet.

Grumpy Shetland pony Tucker (Dustin Hoffman) and wise old goat Franny (Whoopi Goldberg) welcome Stripes to his new home, which borders the Dalrymple Estate, where thoroughbreds train to compete in the prestigious Kentucky Open.

Stripes immediately falls in love with the idea of winning the big race and, unaware that he is really a zebra, the plucky youngster sets about improving his speed by racing against the mail delivery truck.

He devotes himself to training for the big time, aided by Tucker, who has coached a host of champion racehorses in the past.

Channing has a burning ambition to become a jockey but her father, who has given up horse training for a quiet life, stubbornly refuses to let her compete until the ruthless queen of the racing circuit, Clara Dalrymple (Wendie Malick), goads Nolan into risking everything to enter Stripes and Channing in the race.

The Walshes and their creature pals unite to prove that Stripes is fast and tough enough to compete on an equal hoof with true thoroughbreds and to earn his place in the winner's circle.

Racing Stripes is an entertaining, slickly produced and frequently amusing modern-day fairy-tale that abides by the Babe template for its laughter and tears.

Thus, the Walsh farm boasts a bird-brained rooster called Reggie (Jeff Foxworthy) and a bloodhound called Lightning (Snoop Dogg) who keeps a lazy eye on the farm in between naps. As well as a pair of singing horseflies, Buzz (Steve Harvey) and Scuzz (David Spade), who perform MC Hammer and Paul McCartney among others between the one-liners.

Director Frederik Du Chau ensures the tone is light and breezy, and any violence is largely implied, to guarantee an enjoyable ride for younger viewers.

Screenwriter David F Schmidt provides the characters with some lively banter and engineers a sappy romance between Stripes and a beautiful filly called Sandy (Mandy Moore).

A percentage of every ticket goes straight to Comic Relief, giving you even more of an excuse to take the whole family for a day at the races.

Rating 6/10