PAUL MULRENNAN, fifth in the jockeys’ table and flying high following a Hilary Needler Trophy win at Beverley and a Zetland Gold Cup triumph at Redcar within the last week, can play a starring role at Catterick this evening.

The North Yorkshire jockey, who will be dashing down the A1 after riding at Newcastle’s afternoon fixture, looks set to be well rewarded at Catterick courtesy of Lil’s Joy, Pertuis and Vecheka.

Lil’s Joy, runner-up on her penultimate outing at Nottingham, was thrown in at the deep end at York earlier this month when tackling the Marygate Stakes, but she performed admirably in that Listed race by finishing sixth, beaten just over three lengths.

Trainer Giles Bravery has lowered her sights in the Irish Stallion Farms Maiden Fillies’ Stakes and Lil’s Joy is fancied to hit the target, despite a less than favourable draw.

The other fancied mounts for Mulrennan are both trained at Middleham by Micky Hammond who, like the jockey, is enjoying a rich vein of success at present.

Pertuis goes for the Leslie Petch Handicap after winning over the same course and distance last month. The nine-year-old has been raised only 4lb for his latest win and figures at the foot of the handicap in this mile-and-a-half contest.

Nap selection Vecheka goes for the Ellery Hill Rating Related Maiden Stakes and brings a good level of form to the table. The four-year-old failed by only a neck to beat Our Time Will Come over this course and distance last time and deserves the chance to go one better.

Rachel Richardson is another local rider having a purple patch at the moment.

After a couple of good wins on veteran sprinter Captain Dunne at Thirsk, she has since completed her first-ever double at Beverley last Saturday and was back in the winners’ enclosure at Thirsk on Wednesday courtesy of White Flag, likewise trained by her boss Tim Easterby.

Richardson has been booked by Stillington trainer Ruth Carr to partner Dream Sika in the opening Yorkshire-outdoors.co.uk Adventure Actitives Apprentice Handicap.

A fair fourth to Rock Canyon at Ayr recently, Dream Sika should go well in this five furlong dash.

Windforpower, the mount of Jake Butterfield, tackles the same minimum distance in the Racing UK Profits Returned To Racing Handicap.

The gelding finished runner-up to Monarch Maid on this course last time out over six furlongs.

All his nine career wins, however, have come over five furlongs and the return to his favourite distance could see Windforpower back on song.

At Newcastle, Jason Hart can figure among the winners aboard Rockweiller in the AIS Training Handicap.

The Shaun Harris-trained gelding was narrowly beaten at Ayr last week when going by a head to Indian Giver. Compensation now awaits.

Sir Mark Prescott sends Deauville Dancer to Gosforth Park for the Lafarge Tarmac Handicap and Luke Morris’s mount should take plenty of beating.

The four-year-old, who rattled up a hat-trick of wins last season, failed by a head to beat Sunny Future on his comeback outing at Bath earlier this month. He will have benefited from that race and promises to be a tough nut to crack this time over two miles.

Richard Fahey continues to churn out the winners and the Malton trainer has a couple of chances on the card, both ridden by the likewise in-form Tony Hamilton.

Celebration has yet to have a race, but this speedily-bred colt comes from a stable whose juveniles have been winning consistently and it would not be a surprise to see him make a winning debut in the TSG-Leaders In IT Support Maiden Stakes.

Newcastle today: 2.10 Celebration, 2.40 Akeed Champion, 3.15 Rockweiller, 3.45 Deauville Dancer, 4.20 Invoke, 4.55 Who’sthedaddy, 5.25 Classic Flyer.

Catterick today: 6.35 Dream Sika, 7.05 Lil’s Joy, 7.35 Saltarello, 8.10 Windforpower, 8.40 Pertuis, 9.10 Vecheka (NAP).

Today’s other meetings: Brighton, Haydock, Newmarket and Stratford.