Thriving mare bids for Yarmouth hat-trick and a course favourite returns at Fairyhouse

Catterick: will Lady be crowned the winner again?

Ed Bethell took over the training of Crown’s Lady from Craig Lidster after she went through the December sale at Tattersalls, and she has proved a shrewd buy at 34,000gns, winning twice and finishing second and third in four runs for the yard.

The four-year-old bids for back-to-back course-and-distance victories in the 7f fillies' handicap (4.50).

She has been raised 5lb to a career-high mark of 74 for that half-length victory last month, but three of her five wins have come over this trip and Callum Rodriguez is again in the saddle.

"She's been great for us," said Bethell. "She won very nicely at Catterick last time. She's versatile and is effective at seven furlongs and a mile."

Crown's Lady16:50 Catterick

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Jky: Callum Rodriguez Tnr: Edward Bethell

Fairyhouse: Ajou bids to extend perfect course record

I Bid You Ajou has been unbeatable at this course and connections will be hoping for more of the same in the 7f handicap (7.00).

The four-year-old was unable to muster a victory in 15 starts before running at Fairyhouse for the first time in May, but he took a shine to it straight away and has since completed a course hat-trick, all over six furlongs.

His margin of victory has been getting smaller — he scored by a neck last time — but his handicap mark is going in the opposite direction, and he runs off 80 here having started his winning spree off 59.

Shane Foley will get the leg up on the Mark Fahey-trained improver.

I Bid You Ajou19:00 Fairyhouse

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Jky: Shane Foley Tnr: Mark Fahey

Ffos Las: can Candlish preserve unbeaten course record?

Trainer Jennie Candlish is 2-2 at the course this season and will bid to defend her 100 per cent record with Spartan Times in the 1m2f handicap (8.10).

The four-year-old successfully mixes hurdling and the Flat and has won his last two starts.

He won a 2m novice hurdle at Worcester last month by five lengths, but bettered that margin of victory over this course and distance last time, scoring by seven and a half lengths.

Alan O'Keeffe, assistant trainer to Candlish, said: "He did it very well last time, but the handicapper's been very harsh by putting him up 15lb so our hands are tied and we're going to have to run under a [5lb] penalty.

"It's different ground, but he seems well at home and, if he turns up in the same form and the handicapper's right, he should be hard to beat."

Spartan Times20:10 Ffos Las

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Jky: George Wood Tnr: Jennie Candlish

Ffos Las stat: George Boughey

The Newmarket trainer is 2-3 (67 per cent) in juvenile non-handicaps here over the past five seasons and debuts £300,000 breeze-up buy Hilitany in the 5f novice (6.40)

Hilitany18:40 Ffos Las

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Jky: Pat Cosgrave Tnr: George Boughey

Kempton: Rivers looks one to follow

Richard Spencer is 2-3 in three-year-old handicaps at the track this year and bids to enhance that record with I Follow Rivers over a mile (7.55).

The son of the stable's 2017 Coventry Stakes hero Rajasinghe has been in excellent form this season, winning twice — including over seven furlongs here — and finishing runner-up twice and third in five starts.

He lost a shoe in the process of being beaten a neck at Wolverhampton last time and is up 1lb to a mark of 65. Oisin Murphy rides Phil Cunningham’s homebred for the first time.

I Follow Rivers19:55 Kempton (A.W)

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Jky: Oisin Murphy Tnr: Richard Spencer

Kempton stat: James Ferguson

The trainer is 3-7 (43 per cent) in three-year-old-plus handicaps here this year and runs Comte De Loir in the 2m handicap (7.20)

Comte De Loir19:20 Kempton (A.W)

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Jky: James Doyle Tnr: James Ferguson

Yarmouth: Sadie hunts more seaside success

The Norfolk track has proved a happy hunting ground for Julia and Shelley Birkett, who have gained most of their winners and prize-money here.

Their five winners from just 14 runners have proved punter-friendly, with a £1 stake on all of their course runners returning a profit of £27.50.

Heer's Sadie bids to complete a course hat-trick in the mile handicap (4.10) for her Newmarket-based trainers, with rider Sam Feilden taking 5lb off her back.

Ashley Lewis, who partnered the mare to her two recent victories, takes 7lb off topweight Galileo’s Compass.

Shelley Birkett said: "She escapes a penalty for her win there last time and we're claiming 5lb off her, so hopefully she can get the hat-trick. Hopefully, the race doesn't come too soon, but she seems in good form and loves Yarmouth.

"There might be one or two improvers in there, and ideally the ground dries out a bit."