JOCKEY Joe Leavy may have narrowly missed out to Sean Dylan Bowen in the race to be champion apprentice last season but he has continued the momentum as a rising star.

And the young rider makes the long journey north for one ride at Redcar on Thursday, teaming up with Gennadius in the Watch Race Replays At racingtv.com Handicap for his boss, Richard Hannon.

A talented footballer who was on the books of Stoke City in his youth, Leavy scored 42 times last season – two behind Bowen – and is already on the 16-winner mark for the 2025 campaign and closing in on a 100-career wins.

His rapid rise up the ranks has come despite a terrible fall on the gallops nearly ending his career at 16, with a fractured skull, a bleed on the brain, and more than 70 staples in his head.

The career highlight so far was victory on Dream Composer in the valuable Aston Martin 'Dash' Handicap at Epsom last year and he remains good value with his claim down to 3lbs.

Gennadius, a son of Ulysses, has shown plenty of promise in three runs, being placed each time, and was beaten just a short-head at Brighton last time. The final race on Redcar’s seven-card looks a good opportunity to get his head in front in the colours of Middleham Park Racing.

Redcar’s third meeting of the season gets underway at 1.45pm with the Racing TV Club Day Here Today Handicap.

Newmarket raider Zappata, trained by George Scott and ridden by stable apprentice Liam Wright, looks a strong contender after opening his account at Wetherby at the weekend. The Oasis Dream gelding is turned out quickly having won comfortably enough to defy a six-pound penalty.

The highly experienced combination of Malton trainer Tim Easterby and David Allan have a prolific record at Redcar, and they will be well fancied to land the Join Racing TV Restricted Novice Stakes with Double Parked.

The gelding has been in fine form in his last two runs at Newcastle, finishing third and second, and looks ready to go one better.

Some interesting contenders line up for the Start Racing TV Free Trial Now Fillies’ Novice Stakes with Fluorescence (Ed Bethell), Lothlorien (Kevin Ryan), and Angelic Bugler (Tim Easterby) all having won on their only starts.

Archie Watson’s Lambourn raider Sychell is also in the mix after finishing third at Southwell in April, and the betting will be the best guide to stable confidence in a tricky affair.

Lady Of The Garr, trained at Spennymoor by Tracy Waggott, was well supported before finishing second to George Boughey’s Kranjcar at the last Redcar meeting. The Mehmas filly is back for more in the Racing TV Profits Returned To Racing Handicap (Division One) and the much-travelled Luke Morris is an eye-catching booking.

Stormy Pearl, trained at Darlington by David Thompson, was a fast ground winner at Redcar last July (see picture below) and the mare has dropped back to that winning mark for Racing TV Profits Returned To Racing Handicap (Division Two). She also has the benefit of having the evergreen Joe Fanning in the saddle.

See That Storm, trained by Ed Bethell, is on a four-timer in the Racing TV Free Trial Handicap, having won his last three starts of 2024, two of them at Redcar (see picture below). Bethell said then that he hoped the recruit from Andrew Balding’s yard would make an even better four-year-old when he filled his big frame. Callum Rodriguez maintains the fruitful partnership.