LIBERTY SHIP should be a maiden no longer after the Don’t Miss totesport Saturday 23rd May Handicap at Catterick.

James Bethell’s four-year-old is certainly not without pace – he has made the frame in seven of his 12 starts – and did enough at Nottingham last month to warrant plenty of respect.

Liberty Ship stayed on stoutly behind popular speedster Raccoon over five furlongs to suggest he is coming to hand nicely for this assignment.

Although Bethell’s representative is now back up to a mark of 62, he remains an intriguing possibility in this sort of contest.

Business Class, who has only run twice in his career, can also do the business in the catterickbridge.

co.uk Maiden Stakes.

Diamond Lass can shine at Southwell. Richard Fahey’s filly is still a maiden after four starts, but offered encouragement on her handicap debut at Thirsk.

Having a first start for 590 days, Diamond Lass encountered traffic congestion approaching the last of seven furlongs.

She still maintained a zesty gallop at the finish to take third, suggesting for all the world a mile will be her bag.

Diamond Lass, who remains tantalisingly handicapped on a mark of 62, should be far sharper for that Thirsk re-introduction in the Bet Champions League Football - Betdaq Fillies’ Handicap.

Brian Meehan can gain a modicum of solace for Delegator’s defeat in the 2000 Guineas by saddling Roar Of Applause to victory at Chepstow.

While this three-year-old gelding is not one of Meehan’s bighitters, most observers accept he is not without talent.

That claim was underscored by his victory at Kempton last November, when he showed a nice change of gear to defeat Highland River by half a length on his handicap debut.

Although the inevitable rise in the weights will make life more difficult on his return to the track, Roar Of Applause has plenty of scope to pay his way this summer.

The Lindley Catering Handicap represents a good starting point to land a significant double on his first start for 177 days.

Made To Ransom will ideally be suited by middle distances, and gets the nod in the wineaux.co.uk Maiden Stakes.

Having won plenty of admirers following his good third on his debut over a mile at Newmarket – he finished third to none other than Twice Over – the four-year-old has not been seen since.

Something has clearly been amiss, but he returns over ten furlongs – which should definitely be his forte. John Gosden’s charge is unlikely to be fully wound-up for his return, but may not need to be in order to take this moderate heat.

Laustra Bad is entitled to go well in the Desert Orchid Restaurant Handicap Hurdle at Exeter, while Atlantic Coast brings a promising profile to Fakenham.

Peter Bowen’s five-year-old has shaped kindly on two starts over timber and is clearly quite a progressive animal.

He looks to hold the key to the SIS Novices’ Hurdle.

■ Michael Dods, who trains at Denton, near Darlington, enjoyed a 76½-1 double at Newcastle yesterday with Celtic Lynn (16-1) and Tiger Dreams (7-2)obliging.