THE people's racehorse, Evening Press, looks set for a return to Redcar on Monday for her third competitive run.

The two-year-old filly - leased by readers of the Evening Press off Norton trainer Tim Etherington - has been pencilled in for the opening race of Monday's meet, 17 days after her latest run-out at the same Teesside track.

However, if the ground deteriorates, Etherington insists he will not risk a run on too soft a surface and may instead enter her at Doncaster a week today.

Either way, if she gets a third race under her belt before the end of the Turf season on November 10 then she would be given a handicap rating which would increase her race options next season. She could also have a run on the all-weather over the winter.

The Redcar race, scheduled for 1.20pm, will be a seven-furlong maiden event, as opposed to the six-furlong sprints she has run on her previous two outings. The Doncaster race otherwise lined up is a similar distance.

"I would imagine the standard will be quite good again, but the trip is a bit further which I think will suit her more," said Etherington.

"We will have a look at the ground before entering her in the final declarations and it all depends on that.

"I would like her to run on Monday but we want the ground to be reasonable. That's my biggest concern because a lot more rain would make it awful up there for her. There's no point killing a horse."

Etherington has always maintained that the youngster, with two lower-order finishes so far, was likely to have a winless debut season on the Flat but would come into the reckoning as a three-year-old.

In both her outings she has shown glimpses of form and Etherington has been pleased with her performances.

"She's been fine since her last race at Redcar (on October 19) and seems to have come out of it well," he added.

Updated: 11:59 Friday, November 02, 2001