NORTH YORKSHIRE trainer Paul Midgley, who hit the heights with his first runners in Ireland on Saturday, can continue his winning run at Pontefract this afternoon.

Midgley has had his horses in excellent form for quite some time and in Naggers, a facile winner at Redcar on his latest start, he has a sprinter capable of adding to his Westow stable's scoresheet.

Lightly-raced but improving with every start, Naggers won a weak maiden on his latest start by ten lengths without breaking sweat.

He now enters a tougher league in the Wilfred Underwood Memorial Classified Stakes, but with Graham Lee continuing his association with the three-year-old, Naggers is fancied to win again.

At The Curragh on Saturday, Midgley won the 100,000 euros Paddy Power Scurry Handicap with Line Of Reason and also saddled Monsieur Joe to finish a close-up third in the Group 3 Sapphire Stakes, ridden by Joseph O'Brien, who went on to win the Irish Derby on Australia, completing a Derby double after his memorable Epsom success earlier this month.

Henry Candy has a remarkable 33 per cent strike-rate at Pontefract with his runners in the last five years - five winners from 15 representatives. He can add to that tally with Son Of Africa in the Spindrifter Stakes.

The mount of Dane O'Neill, Son Of Africa shrugged off his 25-1 odds on his debut at Windsor when winning readily. A breeze-up sales purchase and a son of the speedy Equiano, Son Of Africa looks capable of improving markedly as he gains experience and he is napped here to make it two from two.

Candy also has good prospects with Tight Fit in the featured EBF Stallions Breeding Winners Park Suite Fillies' Handicap, if you can forgive her latest unplaced effort at York. But a safer proposition may be Stepping Out, who represents Tom Dascombe, who sent out two winners at Chester on Saturday.

Richard Kingscote's mount won in determined style at Goodwood earlier this month. She is 6lb higher in the ratings here, but this lightly-raced sprinter may be open to fair amount of further improvement.

Serena Brotheron has been enjoying a good run lately, winning the Queen Mother's Cup at York and the Ripon Ladies' Derby, not to mention riding another winner at Leicester last week.

The Helmsley-based solicitor teams up with Pertius in the Patricia George Memorial Ladies' Handicap and this recent Ripon winner looks sure to go well over a course and distance where he has won in the past.

Micky Hammond, trainer of Pertius, can also take the Jack Smith-A Lifetime In Racing Handicap with Only Orsenfoolsies, the mount of PJ McDonald.

The five-year-old looked likely to win at York recently but was put in his place in the last fifty yards by the in-form Saved By The Bell, who prevailed by three-parts of a length.

Only Orsenfoolsies is fancied to gain compensation at the main expense of Ruwasi who made hard work of winning at Catterick last time.

At Windsor's evening meeting, Crawford Avenue should go well in the opening EBF Stallions Maiden Fillies' Stakes.

Trained by Clive Cox for David Armstrong, who has enjoyed plenty of success with Richard Fahey and also with David O'Meara, Crawford Avenue ran a solid race in defeat when runner-up at Chester a couple of weeks ago. She may be able to go one better this time under Adam Kirby.

Cox can also win the New Horse Racing Odds At unibet.co.uk Handicap with Perfect Cracker and so replicate the double he had on the same course last Monday.

Perfect Cracker was a track winner three weeks ago and, raised only 3lb for that neck victory, looks competitively weighted to follow-up. The accomplished Ryan Tate has the mount.


Selections

Pontefract today

2.30 Pertius, 3.00 Son Of Africa (NAP), 3.30 Only Orsenfoolsies, 4.00 Stepping Out, 4.30 Interconnection, 5.00 Naggers, 5.30 Ellaal.

Windsor today

6.00 Crawford Avenue, 6.30 Ocean Legend, 7.00 Lady Sparkler, 7.30 Perfect Cracker, 8.00 Uganda Glory, 8.30 Baha, 9.00 My Manekineko.

Today's other meetings

Ffos Las and Southwell.

Tomorrow's meetings

Bath, Brighton, Hamilton and Stratford.