North Yorkshire jockey Tony Culhane can complete a hat-trick for his old boss, Reg Hollinshead, at Southwell on Thursday.

Culhane gets the leg-up aboard Gilded Cove in the Bet In Running @betdirect.co.uk Handicap and looks poised to enjoy a good ride on this gelding, who is bidding to gain his third win off the reel.

Culhane has already steered him to two victories at Wolverhampton, the most recent in a claiming race 12 days ago when Gilded Cove got the better of Teyaar by a neck.

Although he faces stiffer opposition in handicap company tomorrow, Gilded Cove is in cracking form, along with so many of Hollinshead's horses.

Based at Rugeley in Staffordshire, Hollinshead, now 80-years-old and the most senior trainer in Britain, has been responsible for producing a host of fine jockeys, Culhane included.

Among the other star pupils to have emerged from his famed apprentice academy are Kevin Darley, Walter Swinburn and Willie Ryan.

Culhane, who lives near Thirsk, can get on the scoresheet for David Chapman, one of his most regular employers of recent years, in the Bet Direct Selling Stakes.

They are represented by On The Trail, a horse who has been in cracking form and who is also a course and distance winner.

Sahara Silk, the mount of Darryll Holland, makes stacks of appeal in the Special Offers @ betdirect.co.uk Fillies' Handicap.

Derek Shaw's three-year-old has won four times on this course, most recently two outings ago when she just got the better of Piccolo Prince, another course specialist. A sound effort in defeat last week confirms Sahara Silk to be in continuing good heart.

With doubts about Redcar's meeting tomorrow surviving after the heavy rain - there was to be an inspection of the course this afternoon - several northern jockeys could be heading straight to Ayr for the evening fixture.

Among them is Robert Winston, who looks to have good prospects on my Nap selection Desert Heat in the Hats By Christine Selling Stakes.

A winner on the sand during the winter, Desert Heat hails from the in-form Ian Semple stable. He will not get many better opportunities to win a race on turf than in this modest event.

If Redcar's meeting goes ahead, make a note of the mud-loving Melodian, a recent winner for Mel Brittain, in the Sedbergh Handicap.

Wednesday's tips:

Southwell

2.30 Unlimited, 3.00 Doctored, 3.30 Sahara Silk, 4.00 Gilded Cove, 4.30 On The Trail, 5.00 Valiant Air.

Ayr

5.50 Speed Dial Harry, 6.20 Desert Heat (Nap), 6.50 Pirlie Hill, 7.20 Hebenus, 7.50 Righty Ho, 8.20 Howards Dream.

Redcar (inspection this afternoon)

2.20 Space Shuttle, 2.50 Melodian, 3.20 Extremely Rare, 3.50 Karminskey Park, 4.20 Gasparini, 4.50 Time To Regret.

Tomorrow's other meetings are at Lingfield and Hereford.

Updated: 12:23 Wednesday, April 28, 2004