Doyle's return and in-form Ruth Carr - Chris Cook's three things to note on Friday

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1. Ruth Carr back in form

After a couple of quiet months, Ruth Carr is back in form, saddling five winners from 22 runners (23 per cent). The North Yorkshire trainer has only had one month better than that since 2019. She runs four today, at Southwell and Newcastle. Caesar Nero is perhaps the one with most potential upside, making his handicap debut after being rated on the basis of three quick runs for Charlie Hills last spring. He fetched just 2,000gns at auction in October and was then gelded. Jojo Rabbit might be better for his return to action at the start of the month. Van Zant is risky, having looked regressive last year, but first time out and stepping back in distance might be the time to catch him, while Streak Lightning went close at a big price last time.

2. Six on the bounce for Sausalito? 

You might think you've had a reasonably productive year so far but Sausalito is the horse who puts us all to shame. Gary Moore's four-year-old has won five races since a visor was fitted in the middle of last month, an impressive turnaround from the run of eight defeats that began his career. Having broken his duck at Chelmsford on a mark of 48, he now lines up at Lingfield on 67. Tom Queally and Billy Loughnane have been doing the steering but now Moore wants to use the 7lb claim of Alec Voikhansky. Will it be enough? The betting suggests that's a coin-flip. 

Sausalito16:05 Lingfield (A.W)

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Jky: Alec Voikhansky (7lb)Tnr: Gary Moore

3. Back to business for Doyle

Hollie Doyle makes her comeback from injury with one ride at Newcastle. It's probably not a situation where a particular effort has been made to line up the returning rider with a winning opportunity; the aim will have been for her to get back in time for the turf season which starts at Doncaster tomorrow and Newcastle the night before is a convenient place to resume. But Rhythm N Hooves is a likely sort, speedily bred and beaten just a head on his debut a fortnight ago with Hector Crouch up. He traded at 1.01 on that occasion but was outbattled by an experienced rival. The details of Doyle's injury show the extent to which jockeys live in another world. Just over two months ago, she dislocated an elbow and fractured it at the same time. A month later, when she was doing daily push-ups and pull-ups and believing she was close to a recovery, her medical advisors discovered that ligaments around the joint were "completely ruptured" and required surgery. Yikes!

Rhythm N Hooves17:50 Newcastle (A.W)

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Jky: Hollie Doyle Tnr: Archie Watson

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The Front Runner is our unmissable email newsletter available exclusively to Members' Club Ultimate subscribers. Chris Cook, a four-time Racing Reporter of the Year award winner, provides his take on the day's biggest stories and tips for the upcoming racing every morning from Monday to Friday. Not a Members' Club Ultimate subscriber? Click here to join today and also receive our Ultimate Daily emails plus our full range of fantastic website and newspaper content.