TOP North Yorkshire apprentice Connor Beasley heads to Pontefract this evening aiming to make inroads on Oisin Murphy in the junior title race.

With Murphy, who rode in Saturday's Derby, blazing a trail in the championship, for which he is odds-on favourite, Beasley is continuing to give chase. The 3lb claimer has good prospects of completing a treble this evening, which would greatly aid his cause.

Denton Dawn, Beasley's mount in the pontefractracecoursetips.co.uk Maiden Auction Fillies' Stakes, promises to be hard to beat, despite a slightly tricky wide draw.

Trained by Michael Dods, Beasley's boss, the juvenile has finished second in both her starts to date, at Thirsk and Ayr,and has been beaten each time by under a length by smart winners. Denton Dawn can make it third-time-lucky here.

Paul Midgley has booked Beasley to ride Naggers in the Mr Wolf Sprint Handicap.

The gelding has improved from race to race and was a ten lengths winner of a modest event at Redcar on his latest start. Now into handicap company, he is fancied to make his presence felt.

Tony Coyle has also recruited Beasley's services for Newgate Queen in the Racing UK Anywhere Available Now Handicap.

The three-year-old was a narrow winner of an amateur riders' race at Doncaster last time and has been raised 5lb as a result. A bold show is anticipated.

Midgley, who is based at Westow, has his horses in fine form. On the mark with Linguine at Doncaster on Saturday, Midgley can complete a Pontefract double with Adam's Ale in the Middeham Tea Party On 8th July Handicap.

Gradually running into form, Adam's Ale looked an unlucky loser when a close-up third at Ripon three weeks ago as he was hampered at a crucial point in the race. He can gain compensation this evening in the hands of Tony Hamilton.

Malcolm Jefferson, pictured, can become another North Yorkshire trainer to figure on the Pontefract scoreboard. He saddles the versatile Cape Tribulation in the Tony Bethell Memorial Handicap.

Better known as a jumper, courtesy of four hurdle wins and three over fences, Cape Tribulation is also a Flat winner. He ran a good fifth behind Moidore at Newcastle recently and may not need to improve much on that effort to emerge the winner this time ahead of Riptide, winner of this long-distance handicap 12 months ago.

Paul Hanagan, fresh from his memorable triumph in the Oaks on Taghrooda at Epsom last Friday, his first Classic victory, journeys to Ayr, where he is fancied to successfully join forces with North Yorkshire trainer Kevin Ryan, who recently won the French Derby with The Grey Gatsby.

Hanagan takes the mount on Gaudy in the Scottish Sun Raceday 21st June Maiden Stakes. The Dandy Man colt shaped with unmistakable promise on his debut at York last month to finish a three lengths fourth to Bossy Guest. With that experience under his belt, he is napped to come good this time.

In the Jacqui Moloney 60th Birthday Celebration Handicap, Thecornishcowboy makes plenty of appeal.

John Ryan's charge scored in emphatic style by seven lengths at Nottingham last week and escapes a penalty for that win which was gained in an apprentices' race. Graham Lee takes the mount.

Also worth noting are Insaany (5.30), another Hanagan mount and chasing a hat-trick of wins, and recent Yarmouth scorer Hot Mustard (6.00).

Selections

Ayr today

2.30 Gaudy (NAP), 3.00 Le Chat d'Or, 3.30 Lysino, 4.00 Theconishcowboy, 4.30 Funding Deficit, 5.00 Lomond Lassie, 5.30 Insaany, 6.00 Hot Mustard.

Pontefract today

6.40 Denton Dawn, 7.10 Cape Tribulation, 7.40 Naggers, 8.10 Newgate Queen, 8.40 Mission Impossible, 9.10 Adam's Ale.

Today's other meetings

Newton Abbot and Windsor.

Tomorrow's meetings

Fontwell, Lingfield, Salisbury and Worcester.