CRAIG Gallagher, attached to Brian Ellison's North Yorkshire yard, is enjoying a purple patch at present and has good prospects of completing a double for his boss at Sedgefield this afternoon.

The conditional rider, who has ridden seven winners this season from 33 rides – a strike-rate of 22 per cent – gained his 20th career success at Aintree on Saturday aboard Mahlerdramatic.

Given a few days grace before his riding allowance reduces to 5lb, Gallagher is fancied to hit the target this afternoon on SMART TALK and BEN CEE PEE M.

The former, who runs in the Newcastle Flooring Novices' Hurdle Series Qualifier, comes into the race in winning form after a six lengths success at Worcester three weeks ago. He is selected to follow-up.

Ben Cee Pee M tackles the Tony Collins Supporting Richard Farquhar Handicap Hurdle and is selected to make it third-time-lucky this season.

Third at Market Rasen and runner-up to Cusheen Bridge at Southwell last time, the ten-year-old can now promote himself to the number one position.

NAUTICAL TWILIGHT won over hurdles on this course last season and can replicate that achievement over fences in the Nortonthorpe Industrial Park Novices Handicap Chase.

The Malcolm Jefferson-trained mare finished second to Love The Leader on her chasing debut here a couple of weeks ago and may not have to improve much on that effort to take the major spoils today.

Also worth noting are GRATE FELLA (2.50), sure to be all the better after his comeback effort at Ayr, and the lightly-raced MOON OVER RIO (3.50), who is open to plenty of improvement.

John Quinn, Richard Fahey and David Nicholls could all raise the North Yorkshire flag with winners at Wolverhampton.

Quinn is overdue welcoming CATASTROPHE into the winners' enclosure. The juvenile has finished in the frame in three of his four starts and was denied by only a head at Pontefract last month in nursery company. He is napped to go one better in the hands of Graham Gibbons.

INAAM provides Fahey with a good opportunity in the 32RedBingo.com Nursery Handicap.

Although comfortably beaten at Newmarket over seven furlongs last time, the two-year-old had previously gone down by only a nose over this trip of six furlongs at Catterick. He has top weight to carry, but this does not look a particularly competitive race.

Fahey also has a good chance with DOSE, likewise to be ridden by Tony Hamilton, in the first division of the 32Red Casino Maiden Fillies' Stakes.

The Cheveley Park-owned youngster shaped well to finish third on her only start to date at Redcar six weeks ago. Provided she copes with this switch to a Tapeta surface, she ought to go well.

Nicholls can lift the Download The New Unibet Racing App Handicap with the consistent HIT THE LIGHTS.

The gelding has been in fine form and went down fighting when third at Bath on his latest start when bidding for a hat-trick of wins. Although yet to strike on an artificial surface, Hit The Lights deserves another chance to prove his versatility.