Sir Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United are hosting Real Madrid in the Champions League tomorrow, but the racing enthusiast has another diversion at Kempton this afternoon.

The Ferguson silks will be worn by David Probert aboard Thistleandtworoses, a newcomer to the Flat scene after costing $100,000 in the US, and a horse with a strong reputation.

The racing grapevine may not come with any guarantees, but it suggests this three-year-old son of Lion Heart is pretty useful and is capable of making a winning debut.

Ferguson and trainer Andrew Balding will be hoping that is the case, and so too will Probert, who felt the wrath of the stewards last weekend at Lingfield when he was hit with a 28-day ban after taking things too easily on a hot favourite and beaten a nose in the final stride.

Probert has vowed never to repeat this error of judgement and he can be assured of keeping Thistleandtworoses right up to his work in the Get The BetVictor App Maiden Stakes over one mile.

The feature races at Kempton are the two divisions of the BetVictor Handicap. Crew Cut (5.00), a recent course winner trained by Jeremy Gask and the mount of York-based Robert Winston, is napped in the first leg, while the William Haggas-trained Polar Venture (5.30), chasing an all-weather hat-trick, will be had to beat in the other.

At Southwell tomorrow, two North Yorkshire female apprentices have good prospects of figuring on the scoresheet.

Rachel Richardson renews her association with Holy Angel, while Shirley Teasdale will be aboard The Lock Master, on whom she scored a course success over a mile last month.

The Lock Master has since finished third over a mile and a half at this venue under a different jockey, but Teasdale is back on board over a mile for the Green Fee Offers At southwellgolfclub.com Handicap and the gelding is napped to triumph.

Richardson has twice won on Holy Angel at Wolverhampton this season and came close to a hat-trick last week when her mount found his stride too late after a tardy start and was narrowly denied.

He turns out again for Tim Easterby in the Like Us On Facebook Southwell Racecourse Handicap.

Norton jockey Freddie Tylicki is fancied to win on course specialist Mediterranean Sea.


Racing selections

Kempton today
2.40 Friendship Is Love, 3.15 Thistleandtworoses, 3.50 Bowstar, 4.25 Line Of Reason, 5.00 Crew Cut (NAP), 5.30 Polar Venture, 6.00 Focail Maith, 6.30 Time Square.

Today’s other meetings: Ffos Las and Southwell.

Southwell tomorrow
2.10 Bentley, 2.40 Holy Angel, 3.10 Goldmadchen, 3.40 Mediterranean Sea, 4.10 Corn Maiden, 4.40 The Lock Master (NAP), 5.10 Greenhead High.

Tomorrow’s other meetings: Exeter and Newcastle.