NORTH Yorkshire jockey Tony Hamilton, riding at the top of his form, can add a further two winners to his rising tally at Southwell this afternoon.

Hamilton, already into double figures for the year and currently maintaining a 25 per cent strike-rate, is fancied to score on Time And Place and Gabrial The Duke, both trained by his biggest supporter, Richard Fahey.

Time And Place goes for the featured Ladbrokes Handicap after finishing second at Wolverhampton on his latest start beaten less than a length by Rich Again.

He steps up to seven furlongs here and, provided the extra distance does not catch him out, he has leading claims.

Gabrial The Duke, who lines up in the concluding Coral Handicap, was a wide-margin winner on this course last week.

Although he took a fair bit of rousting along last time out, he came good as the race unfolded and drew clear in the straight to score by 12 lengths.

If he consents to put his best foot forward again, he should take plenty of beating, despite a 6lb penalty.

Hamilton and Fahey have a further solid chance with Lexington Bay in the Willie Or Won’t He At 32RedSport.com Handicap, but marginal preference is for the Brian Ellison-trained Samtu, the mount of Ben Curtis.

The four-year-old shaped well to finish second on this track a fortnight ago, which was his first outing since October.

He is entitled to improve with that race under his belt.

Very First Blade can get Southwell punters off to a good start by proving too sharp for his rivals in the Unibet Handicap over six furlongs.

Michael Mullineaux’s sprinter is overdue a winning turn after occupying the runner-up position on his last two outings, both at this venue.

Top weight may not be a barrier to Very First Blade, a course-and-distance winner, who will have the services of Robert Havlin.

He is awarded the nap vote for today.

Steady Major is likely to start at cramped odds in the Ladbrokes Maiden Stakes.

This five-runner contest will not, on the face of it, take much winning and David Simcock’s charge has shown enough ability already to boast strong claims.

Steady Major finished runner-up, beaten narrowly, on his last two starts at Lingfield.

If he handles this slower surface, he will be a tough nut to crack.

Over the jumps at Ayr, where conditions are likely to be pretty testing, Tony McCoy has been booked to ride Top Of The Glas for Norton trainer Ellison in the opening BetVictor.com Maiden Hurdle.

Placed on all three of his hurdling starts, Top Of The Glas, a useful handicapper on the Flat, will be a popular choice with punters, especially with McCoy, who announced his pending retirement on Saturday, in the saddle.

It is interesting that McCoy will also be aboard Cornerman, a newcomer, in the BetVictor National Hunt Flat Race.

Stuart Crawford, trainer of the five-year-old, is a dab hand in these type of races and McCoy’s presence on Cornerman’s back looks a positive sign.

Teddy Tee should go well in the BetVictor Svengali Novices’ Handicap Hurdle.

The Nicky Richards-trained gelding won on this course six weeks ago and is open to further improvement.

Also worth noting are the consistent Mighty Cliche (3.15) and Sedgefield winner Sa Suffit (4.20), the mount of Lucy Alexander.

Southwell today: 2.00 Very First Blade (NAP), 2.30 First Dream, 3.05 Samtu, 3.35 Time And Place, 4.10 Steady Major, 4.40 Gabrial The Duke.

Ayr today: 2.10 Top Of The Glas, 2.45 Teddy Tee, 3.15 Mighty Cliche, 3.50 Aye Well, 4.20 Sa Suffit, 4.55 Cornerman.

Today’s other meeting: Ffos Las.