DAVID O’MEARA, who saddled a treble at Ripon last week and who followed up with a single strike at Thirsk on Saturday, can continue his current form by landing the feature race at Pontefract today.

The trainer, based at Nawton near Helmsley, saddles Out Do in the £20,000 Riu Palace Meloneras Handicap over six furlongs and Danny Tudhope’s mount is fancied to prevail.

Out Do ran a series of creditable races last season and came good when capturing the Great St Wilfrid Handicap at Ripon in August.

He is set to race off only a 4lb higher mark today and, although he could have been better drawn than being two from the outer in this sprint, he is fancied to make a bold bid for an in-form North Yorkshire stable.

Richard Fahey is another of our area’s trainers whose horses are running out of their skins and the Malton handler could have at least one winner on the card.

Fahey gives Paul Hanagan the leg-up on Black Magic in the opening Racing UK Profits Returned To Racing Maiden Stakes and this juvenile hails from a yard whose two-year-old crop have hit the ground running.

It would be no surprise to see this son of Poet’s Voice make a winning debut from the favoured inside berth.

Fahey also has good prospects with nap selection Beardwood in the Watch Racing UK Anywhere Maiden Stakes.

The three-year-old had only one juvenile outing but showed a heap of promise when staying on to finish second at Doncaster in November after taking time for the penny to drop. Tony Hamilton has the mount.

Hanagan, who rode three winners at Newbury on Saturday, has several good chances on the card, including on Where The Boys Are in the 80s Night On Friday 22nd May Handicap.

Trained by Ed McMahon, the sprinter was a dual-winner last season at Warwick and Doncaster and surely has more to offer this term as a four-year- old.

The Pontefract Marathon Handicap over nearly two and three-quarter miles sees the first, second and third from a two-mile affair on this course a fortnight ago locking horns once more.

On that occasion, Surprise Vendor beat Tuscan Gold and Madam Lilibet. This time over this longer journey it would be no surprise to see the relentless Madam Lilibet come out on top.

Over the sticks at Hexham, Captain Hox may prove the solution to the opening Northumberland College Novices’ Hurdle.

Trained in Ireland by Patrick Griffin, the gelding was a winner on his penultimate start and came up against a real star here four weeks ago when chasing home easy winner Cyrus Darius, who has since gone on to Grade 2 glory at Aintree’s Grand National meeting.

Captain Hox has nothing of the calibre of Cyrus Darius to beat this time and can go one better with Brian Hughes, rider of Cyrus Darius, taking over the mount.

Malcolm Jefferson, trainer of Cyrus Darius, saddles Cloudy Dream in the first division of the Northumberland College Gallery National Hunt Flat Race.

Owned by Trevor Hemmings, whose colours were recently carried to success in the Grand National by Many Clouds, the Norton gelding was a comfortably beaten third on his debut at Sedgefield in December.

But that came at a time when the Jefferson string were running below-par and they have since bounced back to form with a vengeance.

The fact that Cloudy Dream started joint-favourite at Sedgefield suggests that he was expected to do well that day.

He is not one to underestimate on his return to action.

Also worth noting at Hexham are Alto Des Mottes (2.00), previously with Paul Nicholls and now trained in North Yorkshire by Henry Hogarth, and the Mark Walford-trained Highlander Ted (3.40), a winner last time out at Newcastle.

Benefit In Kind, runner-up to Highlander Ted that day, takes him on again and there should be precious little to choose between the pair once more.

Pontefract today: 2.10 Black Magic, 2.45 Wistar, 3.20 Out Do, 3.50 Madam Lilibet, 4.20 Beardwood (NAP), 4.50 Where The Boys Are.

Hexham today: 1.30 Captain Hox, 2.00 Alto Des Mottes, 2.35 Shine A Diamond, 3.10 Central Flame, 3.40 Highlander Ted, 4.10 Special Portrait, 4.40 Cloudy Dream, 5.10 Bengo.

Today’s other meetings: Kempton, Newton Abbot and Windsor.