TACKLING Beverley's unique uphill and down dale track is not to every thoroughbred's liking.

But one horse to have shown a distinct affinity for the course is Splodger Mac, a leading contender for Mac And Lani Memorial Handicap.

Neville Bycroft's late-maturing five-year-old caused a major upset at the East Yorkshire venue in July when making every single yard of the running to record an unlikely maiden victory at odds of no less than 66-1.

There were a few buffoons who at the time declared the win was a total fluke.

But Splodger Mac (2.50) has since scuppered that theory with several decent placed efforts, including when chasing home the useful veteran, Rymers Rascal, at Thirsk 11 days ago.

Even more crucially the selection has enjoyed more than a stroke of good fortune by drawing stall 16, just one slot away from the massively favourable inside rail.

Jockey Franny Norton, a former lightweight amateur boxing champion, will not pull any punches in his desire to hustle his mount out of the gates, grab an early lead, and hopefully maintain his advantage all the way to the winning line.

Hughie Morrison doesn't bring too many runners north from his Lambourn base, so the appearance of Kythia (4.30) in the mile-and-a-half Wedding Celebration Handicap is a hint not to be missed.

Kythia has been rather hit-and-miss to date this term, but there's no denying the excellence of her third-placing in an extremely competitive event at Sandown in the spring, a performance which would entitle the filly to a leading chance in this far less testing affair.

Monday was a red-letter day for the 17-year-old apprentice Tolly Dean, who rode his first-ever winner aboard Bowling Along at Redcar.

Although young Tolly is attached to Mick Channon's stable, the trainer to secure his services for Linden's Lady (5.25) at Yarmouth is Middleham-based John Weynes.

Linden's Lady carried the nap when finishing fourth at Carlisle on her most recent start.

It was a race she might well have won if rider Tony Beech had plotted a path up the far rail, instead of coming all the way round the houses on the outside.

Yarmouth's less demanding seven-furlong track, plus the fact Linden's Lady is amazingly well handicapped on the pick of her useful two-year-old form, persuades me not to desert her, even though it will be a tough ask to take the measure of 15 rivals in a fiercely competitive heat.

Finally to Sandown, where Go Tech (5.15) is fancied to mug some more strongly-fancied southern rivals.

Tim Easterby's filly has in the past tended to spoil her prospects by pulling too hard and consequently wasting valuable energy in the early stages of her races.

The big field in the Queen Elizabeth's Foundation Handicap should enable her jockey to bury Go Tech in the pack.

With luck the northern raider will settle there, thus preserving fuel in the tank for the charge to the winning post over the final couple of furlongs.

* Gallops Whisper came up trumps with 12-1 winner, Brecon, at Salisbury yesterday.