When it comes to racing at Beverley, Ollie Pears is always a man to have on your side.

The talented Norton trainer is fancied to add to his admirable course record this evening courtesy of Petsas Pleasure, the mount of champion jockey Paul Hanagan.

In the last five years Pears has had 47 Beverley runners, which have produced a remarkable ten winners at a strike-rate of 21 per cent. Furthermore, a £1 level stake bet on all his horses would now be showing a profit of more than £45.

With those sort of statistics backing up his challenge, Petsas Pleasure has plenty going for him in the tyregiant.com Handicap.

Never out of the first three in four outings this season, and a winner at Redcar, the five-year-old finished a creditable third at Ripon last time in a race which did not play to his strengths.

A horse who likes to be held up off the pace and brought with a long steady run, preferably on the outside of his rivals, Petsas Pleasure should find things panning out well for him this evening in a race which looks to have guaranteed front-runners.

Hanagan knows him well and he can provide Pears with yet another Beverley success.

The in-form Tim Easterby switches Market Maker back to the Flat in the Maiden Handicap and the move is expected to pay dividends.

The three-year-old has won and finished second over hurdles since chasing home Hal Of A Lover on this course earlier in the season. This step up to two miles on the level should be right up his street. Robert Winston rides.

Select Committee is selected to win the Charly Chucklebus Handicap for John Quinn and apprentice Shane B Kelly.

A former course and distance winner, the gelding has had a little break since he finished only three lengths adrift of Entitled in fifth place in a 20-strong field at York last month.

A reproduction of that form would put him right in the mix here and, although he is drawn wider than ideal in this five furlong dash, he is plainly not one to dismiss lightly.

Silvestre de Sousa, pushing Paul Hanagan hard at the top of the jockeys’ championship, can make his presence felt aboard Beechey’s Beauty (6.30) in the opening claiming race, while Paul Midgley, already past his total score of winners for the whole of last season, can add to his growing tally with recent scorer Twennyshortkid (7.30), the mount of Barry McHugh.

At Musselburgh tomorrow, Mick Easterby can strike while the iron is hot with Istiqdaam in the Watch Racing UK On Sky 432 Handicap.

Graham Gibbons’ mount won at Leicester last week and, as that was in an apprentices’ race, he escapes a penalty here. He will be hard to beat.

The nap vote is awarded to Dane Cottage, trained by Brian Ellison and a horse who dead-heated for first place at Newcastle last month.

There is more to come from the four-year-old and that man Hanagan is a significant jockey booking.

Racing selections

Beverley (tonight)

6.30 Beechey’s Beauty, 7.00 Munaawer, 7.30 Twennyshortkid, 8.00 Petsas Pleasure (NAP), 8.30 Market Maker, 9.00 Select Committee.

Today’s other meetings

Ayr, Windsor and Yarmouth.

Musselburgh (tomorrow)

2.30 Jewelled Dagger, 3.00 Storm Fairy, 3.30 Tancred Spirit, 4.00 Dane Cottage (NAP), 4.30 Angelo Poliziano, 5.00 Hal Of A Lover, 5.30 Istiqdaam.

Tomorrow’s other meetings

Bangor, Southwell and Yarmouth.