RICHIE McLERNON, understudy to Tony McCoy at Jonjo O’Neill’s Jackdaws Castle yard, heads north to Catterick today with good prospects of riding a double.

Less Time and Saint Lucy, both trained by O’Neill, provide McLernon with sound prospects of making his trip from Gloucestershire worth while.

Nap selection Less Time was a fluent winner at Market Rasen recently with McLernon bringing him home with 13 lengths to spare. That was only the six-year-old’s third race over fences and there is surely more to come from him.

A hike up the weights is inevitable, but Less Time has only a 7lb penalty to carry in the catterickbridge.co.uk Novices’ Handicap Chase and is fancied to take all the beating.

Saint Lucy, who runs in the TBA Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle, was pulled-up in Listed company at Sandown on her latest start.

She has less on her plate this afternoon and has also performed well on this course already having chased home the useful Intense Tango, a Listed winner since at Doncaster, on her second run over hurdles. A return to that level of form today would make her hard to beat.

Billy Cuckoo represents Norton trainer Tony Coyle in the Easby Abbey Handicap Chase.

This hard-as-nails gelding finished a good third at Carlisle early last week in the race won by Bennys Well. He has every chance of stepping up on that performance under Dougie Costello and may have most to fear from Mark Walford’s Uno Valoroso, winner of two of his last three starts.

Nefyn Bay goes for a hat-trick of wins in the opening racinguk.com Lady Amateur Riders’ Handicap Hurdle.

Donald McCain’s six-year-old is in great heart at present, winning at Doncaster and Wetherby on his last two appearances. His most recent Wetherby win was gained in a conditional jockeys’ race so he escapes penalty in today’s contest. He promises to be hard to beat.

Also worthy of attention at Catterick is the promising Grand Meister (2.30), trained by John Quinn, who ran well over this course and distance on his debut before failing to build on that display on his only subsequent outing at Wetherby.

Connor Beasley can make his long journey from North Yorkshire to Lingfield pay off by scoring on Sands Chorus for Lincolnshire trainer James Given.

The three-year-old finished second on his reappearance at Southwell a couple of weeks ago.

He was beaten a dozen lengths that day, but that was in maiden company and he should find running off a mark of 64 in the 32Red on The App Store Apprentice Handicap much more in keeping with his ability.

Luke Morris, a prolific scorer on the all-weather throughout the winter, can add to his tally of winners courtesy of a double through Divine Rule and King Olav.

Trained by Laura Mongan, Divine Rule shaped well to finish fourth at Kempton a fortnight ago. He is a previous course and distance winner here and is expected to go well in the seven furlongs Ladbrokes Mobile Handicap.

King Olav, who lines up in the 32Red.com Handicap, is another with course-winning form. Tony Carroll’s veteran campaigner showed he is still capable of being competitive when going down by less than a length to Ballyfarsoon at Wolverhampton last month.

Also worth noting at Lingfield are newcomer Rain Wind And Fire (2.10), for whom Ryan Moore looks a significant jockey-booking, and Matraash (3.40), who is overdue a winning turn after occupying the runner-up berth on this course.

Catterick today: 2.00 Nefyn Bay, 2.30 Grand Meister, 3.00 The Alamo, 3.30 Less Time (NAP), 4.00 Saint Lucy, 4.30 Billy Cuckoo, 5.00 Blake Dean.

Lingfield today: 2.10 Rain Wind And Fire, 2.40 Lashkaal, 3.10 Divine Rule, 3.40 Matraash, 4.10 King Olav, 4.40 Sands Chorus.

Today’s other meeting: Leicester.