HOBBY has run some fine races in defeat over the past couple of seasons and a deserved success could come her way in the PricewaterhouseCoopers Warwickshire Oaks.

The four-year-old ran out an impressive winner at Warwick back in July 2007 but unfortunately she has failed to get her head in front in eight starts since that debut success.

However, Ralph Beckett’s filly has been placed twice in Listed company as well as finishing third in last year’s Ribblesdale Stakes at Royal Ascot.

Well fancied for her first start of the current campaign at Ripon, she had to make do with the runner-up spot behind Classic Punch, but she should improve for that and is well up to winning in this grade before the season is out.

Bold Cross bolted up at Haydock on Thursday and a 6lb penalty is unlikely to stop him going in again in the Champagne Lanson Handicap.

The six-year-old had gone down by a fast-diminishing head at Newbury before that so it came as no surprise when he proved much too good for his Merseyside rivals last week.

He is now on a career-high mark but is clearly in great nick and it would be surprising if he is not involved in the finish.

Arabian Pearl showed a smart turn of foot to score at Beverley last time and could be well treated for her handicap debut at Carlisle.

She seemed to find the Nottingham mile a little too far when second there on her penultimate start but made no mistake when dropped to seven furlongs in East Yorkshire.

This extended six furlongs should not pose any problems given the stiff nature of the track and now she has found out how to win, her mark of 77 may prove lenient ahead of the Carlisle Conference Group Fillies’ Handicap.

Richard Hannon appears to have found Footstepsofspring the perfect opportunity to break her duck in the EBF sportingbet.com Maiden Stakes at Windsor.

The juvenile showed precious little on her introduction at Newmarket but improved massively to finish a close-up second at Goodwood.

She again occupied the runner- up spot in a decent novice event over this course and distance and if she does not go one better here, she might struggle to open her account at all.

Donald McCain is having plenty of winners on the summer jumping circuit and Grasscutter can add to his tally in the Paxtons No1 For Lely/Welger Equipment Novices’ Hurdle at Sedgefield.

Meanwhile, Paul Hanagan could be back in action at Carlisle today after escaping serious injury when kicked at York by an unraced two-yearold.

Richard Fahey’s stable jockey was about to be lifted into the saddle in the parade ring when he was cow-kicked in the leg by his intended mount, William Morgan, before the Leonard Sainer EBF Maiden Stakes on Saturday.

Treated by paramedics in the paddock, he was stretchered into an ambulance and taken to hospital for precautionary X-rays which revealed no broken bones.

‘‘He has bruised his leg, hopefully he will ride tomorrow (Monday) but he won’t ride today at Doncaster,’’ said Fahey.

‘‘He was very lucky as it just caught him in the wrong position.

‘‘He’ll definitely be okay for Royal Ascot.’’ Hanagan’s mounts at the big meeting could include classy sprinter Utmost Respect in the Golden Jubilee on Saturday and Rose Blossom in the Queen Mary.

■ Love Lockdown vindicated Ger Lyons’ decision to forego Royal Ascot when he took the Kerry Spring Water Rochestown Stakes at Cork.

Once a possible for the Coventry Stakes, the progressive Love Lockdown (11-8 favourite) was aimed instead at this Listed event and completed his hat-trick with a neck success over King Ledley.

The Verglas gelding made virtually all the running under Keagan Latham and had enough in the tank to keep King Ledley at bay in the final furlong.

Roi De Vitesse, trained by Rod Millman, stayed on nicely for third while the other British raider, Mark Johnston’s Avonrose, faded into fifth after being prominent in the early stages.