COUNTY Durham trainer Michael Dods is sailing along nicely after a slow start to the season and he looks the man to follow on Redcar’s Caribbean Carnival Day.

Dods will be hoping to plunder some of the prizes on offer as Saturday’s meeting celebrates Redcar’s maritime heritage, with racegoers invited to dress up as pirates and in other sea-faring fancy-dress costumes.

The Denton trainer had three horses entered in the Markse Fabrications & Engineering Straight Mile Handicap at the four-day stage but relies on Hale End, ridden by PJ McDonald.

The five-year-old gelding won three times for Game On Racing last year and has dropped to an attractive mark as he goes in search of his first win of 2025.

The danger looks to be Zou’s Your Daddy, trained at Newmarket by George Scott, who won an apprentice race at the last Redcar meeting (see picture below).

Dods also has a leading contender with Sanbona in the Derek Saul Form Follower Supreme Classified Stakes. The gelding - running in the colours of David Metcalfe, who owned the great Dods-trained sprinter Mecca’s Angel – has been consistent without managing a win.

Two of his best runs this year have come at Redcar, finishing third in decent-sized fields on both occasions, and Alex Jary takes off a useful five pounds this time.

The first of six races gets underway at 14.02pm with the Market Cross Jewellers Maiden Stakes. Hostility is an interesting contender, having made the switch from Joseph O’Brien in Ireland to David O’Meara in North Yorkshire.

However, Karl Burke’s two-year-olds are always to be feared and the market is worth checking for signs of confidence in newcomer Apple Catcher.

Malton maestro Tim Easterby won last year’s Celebrate The Life of Ann Allport Handicap with Oceanic Wonder, and he has a strong hand this year with Tootsie and Marry The Night. Preference is for Tootsie who has been placed on her last two runs at Thirsk and Beverley and should go well again under James Sullivan.

Ed Bethell’s Fluorescence (pictured below) was an impressive winner at Redcar at the start of May and the filly has been placed twice in higher grade races since. She looks well placed to return to the Redcar winner’s enclosure with Oisin Orr booked for the Every Race Live On Racing TV Handicap.

Orr is also an attractive booking for Arie Gordye in the concluding Watch Race Replays On racingtv.com Handicap. Roger Fell’s filly was staying on stoutly to be runner-up over a mile and a half at Beverley last time and has an extra two furlongs to travel.

Main picture: Hale End in winning action at Hamilton