Kentucky Blue, held in high regard by trainer Tim Easterby, can complete a hat-trick of wins by taking the feature race at Thirsk tomorrow.

The two-year-old goes for the £12,000 Lewis Geipel Challenge Cup Stakes over seven furlongs and will be ridden by Willie Supple, who won on the Easterby-trained Freya's Dream at Sandown last night.

Kentucky Blue got off the mark over tomorrow's course and distance, winning in good style, before going on to follow-up in similar no-nonsense fashion at Beverley two weeks ago.

On the upgrade, Kentucky Blue is my Nap selection to oblige again tomorrow in the colours of Charlie Stevens.

Easterby can also succeed with Silver Band in the Black Cat Fireworks Fillies' Handicap over six furlongs.

A course-and-distance winner earlier in the season, Silver Band ran a fair race in defeat at Pontefract on her latest outing when a staying-on sixth to Bint Royal. She should go well under 5lb claiming apprentice David Allan.

Mellino, well thought of early in the season, returns to action after a 10-week break and can initiate a treble for Tim Easterby by winning the Sally Tulley Maiden Fillies' Stakes. Robert Winston has the mount.

Hakam merits consideration in the Joe Baggot Still Enjoying Retirement Handicap over 12 furlongs.

John Berry's lightly-raced gelding stepped up to this trip for the first time at Catterick recently and was beaten only a head by Two Marks. Open to further improvement, Hakam could well go one better here.

BBC2 are showing four races live tomorrow from Ascot, where David Nicholls has an excellent chance of lifting the £20,000 City Index Rated Handicap with Awake.

The five-year-old, narrowly beaten by his stablemate Brave Burt at Newmarket a couple of weeks ago, won a handicap in Ireland a few days later.

A 3lb penalty might not be enough to anchor the in-form Awake, who will again be partnered by the trainer's son, Adrian Nicholls.

Trained Bythe Best will have plenty of supporters in the John Guest Brown Jack Handicap over two miles.

Martin Pipe's mare has relished stepping up to this sort of distance and has won her last two starts, at Chepstow and Newbury. She will be hard to beat in her hat-trick bid.

Mythic, who beat the odds-on Verasina in a maiden race at Nottingham last month, is raised in class in the October Club Place To Be Valiant Stakes.

Trainer James Fanshawe clearly holds this twice-raced filly in some regard and it would not surprise me to see Mythic come up trumps in this Listed event.

Tomorrow's tips:

Thirsk

2.05 Mellino, 2.35 Silver Band, 3.05 Kentucky Blue (Nap), 3.40 Shaiyzima, 4.10 Hakam, 4.45 Ivory Bay, 5.20 Young Rosein.

Ascot

2.15 Illustria, 2.45 Trained Bythe Best, 3.20 Awake, 3.50 Mythic, 4.25 Prince Tum Tum, 5.00 Commanding.

Updated: 13:05 Thursday, July 25, 2002