Rainbow can lead to Redcar gold

– Rainbow Rebel looks certain to give his supporters a run for their money today in the Racing UK Zetland Gold Cup Handicap at Redcar.

Trained by Mark Johnston, the four-year-old enjoyed a successful 2016 campaign after a belated start, rattling off four wins on the spin between August and September, having not been seen since the previous October.

He was the best part of 10kg higher in the handicap by the time his winning run ended at Pontefract in October, being just denied his five-timer, before filling the same position at Nottingham.

He looked like he needed it when not disgraced at Ripon on his return earlier this month, and came nicely forward at the same track a week or so later. The handicapper might just have his measure now, but he is clearly still capable of being competitive and should be ready for what is a nice prize.

Punters can get off to a good start with Bengali Boys in the Watch Racing UK Today Just #10 Novice Auction Stakes.

The Richard Fahey-trained youngster made a winning start when staying on well at Beverley from a subsequent scorer back in third, and might have bumped into a Royal Ascot sort in Mutanaaseq when attempting to follow up at Doncaster.

Fahey’s runner did little wrong and had the rest beaten off and would be a bit unlucky to meet something like that here.

The reappearance effort of Black Salt suggests he is going to win races this term and he can start in the racinguk.com/ daypass Median Auction Maiden Stakes.

His sole run as a two-year-old was over this course and distance in October, and while he keen early on before dropping out of it with 200m to run, he shaped much more promisingly at Ripon this month.

Only Yalawin was to prove too good, and time may tell there was no disgrace in that as Roger Varian’s colt looks primed to run a big race in the Sky Bet Windsor Sprint Series Handicap at the Thameside venue.

It is interesting he has come back to sprinting this year, having finished off 2016 over 1400m at Kempton, where he looked a likely winner before being headed and flattening out close home, losing out narrowly.

It was hard not to be taken with the manner of his maiden victory and it will be fascinating to see how he develops as the year goes on.

For now, he promises to be hard to beat, with Varian enjoying a good time of things of late.

Richard Hughes was very much the ‘king’ of Windsor in his riding days so it is to be expected he will enjoy a winner of two in his new career as a trainer and his King Of Spin is one to keep on side in the Sky Bet Top Price Every Favourite Handicap. He had his first run for Hughes - and first since being gelded - when winning nicely here at the turn of the month.

That was also his first start for 233 days and it could be we have not seen the absolute best of him just yet. Any rain would help. – Press Association