THE stars of the future are in the spotlight at Redcar on Sunday as the seaside course stages the north’s first apprentice-only race meeting on Circus Family Fun Day.

It’s a chance for the country’s young riders to shine, with Redcar staging seven races, limited to apprentice jockeys, as part of the Go Racing In Yorkshire Summer Festival.

They include rising star Joe Leavy, who is leading this year’s Apprentice Jockeys’ Championship after being pipped to the title last year by Sean Dylan Bowen.

Leavy, whose father Barry held a trainers’ licence for 20 years, is attached to the Richard Hannon yard and the Wiltshire trainer provides one of the 19-year-old’s two booked rides at Redcar in the form of Gennadius in the Sky Bet Extra Places Daily Apprentice Restricted Maiden Stakes.

The Ulysses colt has made the frame in all but one of his seven races, including when a career-best third at Catterick earlier this month. If Leavy can overcome his mount’s habit of hanging in his races, he shouldn’t be far away.

Leavy’s other ride comes on Crimson Road for Northumberland trainer Susan Corbett in the opening Racing TV Free Trial Apprentice Handicap, though the more likely winner is Elizabeth Gale on Grant Tuer’s Bellasio, a winner at Carlisle in June and second at the Cumbria track last time out.

Elizabeth has another decent chance in the following Go Racing In Yorkshire Future Stars Apprentice Handicap on Tim Easterby’s Bollin Neil, but the one to beat looks to be the Iain Jardine-trained Elemental Eye who has been knocking on the door with two close seconds in his last two runs at Nottingham and Ayr.

Karl Burke’s Gloriously Sassy won going away at Beverley on Tuesday and is fancied for a quick follow-up in the Sky Bet Go-Racing-In-Yorkshire Summer Festival Apprentice Handicap under Jack Nicholls.

Dolly’s Delight was another Beverley winner last time out, running on strongly, and Julia Camacho’s filly will be a leading contender for Tom Kiely-Marshall in the Celebration of Tanker Finally Retiring Apprentice Handicap despite a 6lb penalty.

Rhys Elliott, pictured below, is a popular young rider attached to the Michael Dods’ yard, but he has also enjoyed success with neighbouring County Durham trainer David Thompson, and the combination appear to have solid chances in the final two races.

Wheres The Crumpet – a winner at Carlisle at the end of May – goes to post in the Start Your Racing Free Trial Handicap, while course and distance winner Stormy Pearl will be well fancied in the Racing TV Apprentice Handicap after winning under Elliott at Hamilton last time out.

Redcar is the only Flat meeting taking place in Britain on Sunday, with the first race off at 4.18pm and the last race at 5.45pm, with plenty of children's entertainment in the Big Top in the Course Enclosure.

Tom Byrne, Head of Racing and Betting at the British Horseracing Authority, said: “It is pleasing to see the card well supported with runners and our thanks go to the Professional Jockeys’ Association and Redcar for working with the BHA to bring this initiative to life.”