PUMPED UP KICKS, the only mare in the line-up, can lift the feature race at Wetherby this afternoon.

On an all-important weekend of racing at the 'A1' course, highlighted by tomorrow's Charlie Hall Chase and West Yorkshire Hurdle, today's signature race is the £27,500 bet365 Handicap Chase, in which Pumped Up Kicks, trained by rising star Dan Skelton, is fancied to make the most of bottom weight. Ian Popham has the mount.

Winner of her final two starts last season, which included a mares' Listed race at Cheltenham, Pumped Up Kicks finished fourth in the Summer Plate at Market Rasen in July when she may have found the ground a little too lively.

The progressive eight-year-old will have conditions more to her liking this afternoon and is selected to come out on top ahead of a field that includes last year's first and second, Mick Easterby's Shadows Lengthen and the Charlie Longsdon-trained Off The Ground.

The £20,000 Weatherbys Hamilton Wensleydale Juvenile Hurdle is the chief supporting race and LEONCAVALLO makes great appeal after proving unbeatable in four races to date.

A reformed character, the three-year-old has gone from a low-grade Wolverhampton all-weather winner on the Flat to a pretty professional hurdler with two wins at Stratford, one at Newton Abbot and a recent runaway success at Market Rasen to his credit since he switched to jumping.

The conditions of this race suit him as he has only an 8lb penalty in all and has to concede only 4lb to the two previous winners in the field, Sceau Royal and Our Thomas. The latter is trained by Tim Easterby and was a winner on his hurdling debut on this course earlier in the month.

Although he had to work to prevail narrowly that day, Our Thomas gave the impression that he would be better served by a stronger gallop in a better race. He will doubtless be granted those two factors this afternoon, but whether he will still be good enough to lower the colours of Leoncavallo remains to be seen. John Ferguson's prolific winner promises to be a tough nut to crack.

Ferguson and jockey Aidan Coleman can also win the bet365.com Handicap Hurdle with recent Carlisle winner HADFIELD, who is wearing cheekpieces for the first time to further aid his concentration. Provided he is not intimidated by more seasoned rivals, he should go well in his bid to defy a 7lb penalty.

Also worth noting at Wetherby are useful novice ROYAL VACATION (1.05) and the in-form ALTA ROCK (3.25). The first-named represents Colin Tizzard, whose celebrated performer Cue Card is set to line-up in tomorrow's Charlie Hall Chase.

At Newmarket, MISS VAN GOGH is napped to win the first division of the discovernewmarket.co.uk Handicap.

Trained at Malton by Richard Fahey and owned, among others, by Terry Dyson, the Malton-born star footballer of the 1960s with Tottenham Hotspur, Miss Van Gogh is already twice a winner this season. She finished a good second on her latest start at Windsor and will have her all-important soft ground this afternoon.

Miss Van Gogh, who boasts strong claims in this one-mile event, will be teamed up with Paul Hanagan, who won on her at Leicester last autumn.

Brian Ellison's Ayr winner ECHO OF LIGHTNING may be able to follow up in the second division of this handicap. Gearoid Brouder again has the mount and his 7lb claim will add his partner's cause.

Two Irish raiders, CLEAR CUT (2.25) and Only Mine (1.25), both to be partnered by Irish champion Pat Smullen, are worthy of attention at Newmarket, as is David O'Meara's hat-trick seeking MARAAKIB (12.55), the mount of Josh Doyle.

Today's tips - Wetherby: 1.05 Royal Vacation, 1.40 Hadfield, 2.15 Pumped Up Kicks, 2.50 Leoncavallo, 3.25 Alta Rock, 4.00 Bruce Almighty, Newmarket: 12.25 Clear Cut, 12.55 Maraakib, 1.25 Only Mine, 2.00 Noble Peace, 2.35 Wild Storm, 3.10 Handiwork, 3.45 Miss Van Gogh (NAP), 4.20 Echo Of Lightning.