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Melissa, aka The Scout, is the current Racing Post National Press Challenge champion after she led the field of 11 tipsters to the finish in 2025. The stamina-sapping competition was based on more than 9,600 selections throughout the year. A good final furlong helped her cause, but Melissa has maintained her form - and set a new record by finishing top of the standings for a fourth month on the trot in February before tipping this year's Cheltenham Gold Cup winner, Gaelic Warrior.

Onwards from three winners in the last column, it's time for our tipster to nominate her next horses to follow...

ASHEN (3.00) is the first selection of the week in the Sunday Lunch At Western House Hotel Handicap at Ayr.

This is a horse rated only 63, but he has shown on his last two outings for the course's top trainer, Jim Goldie, that he could pick up a little race.

Hopefully, he can provide his stable with a 67th success there over the past three years, with Paul Mulrennan chasing number 44 from the summit of the jockeys' table.

Ashen has been rusty from the stalls on his return from a 104-day break, but with a weak pace forecast today, he should hopefully be able to latch onto the back of the field.

Three lengths behind the rest of the field at halfway on his penultimate start, Ashen passed 11 rivals into 7th and also suggested he has more to offer when making late ground for third subsequently.

Crucially, he is 4lb lower than when he last ran over seven furlongs for last year's winning combination with Inanna.

At Ffos Las, I'm hoping HILLWALK (3.48) can step up on his handicap debut at Chepstow last month when he went off the 6-5 favourite.

Neil Mulholland's trainee was closing on Koktail Brut (rated 140) when falling at the last fence of an Irish point-to-point in April 2024.

Hillwalk has faced some useful rivals in maiden company and was well-backed to successfully kick off with a mark of 95 in Wales.

But over 2m3½f, he found it all happening a bit quickly for him, and the step up to nearly three miles should see him in a better light.

There will be Classic clues aplenty at Chester's Boodles May Festival, but the bet for me comes in Wednesday's six-furlong American Holidays Handicap, Pontefract eyecatcher ALAMINOS (3.40).

Pinatubo's son showed plenty of boot towards the line to get within a neck of Cape Ashizuri, and as lots of the 14 runners ideally want to go forward, some are likely to get pushed wide.

Alaminos has three more exposed opponents on his inside from stall four and, in an ideal scenario, will be able to kick clear from the rest in the straight.

BOLD STEP, a thoroughbred owned by the King and Queen, has two entries this week (Newton Abbot on Wednesday and Huntingdon on Thursday).

Nicky Henderson is keen to step the half-brother to Steal A March (career best at 3m½f off 128 on good to soft) up in distance after an encouraging bumper debut at Exeter.

Declared to return to Devon, this six-year-old bred by Queen Elizabeth II from a 17-year-old mare Side Step will have a say if he runs to a similar level his close relative did as a novice.

In Friday's Ladbrokes Chester Cup, I'll be having a little each-way interest in MAXI KING (3.05), as connections claim off him for the first time.

Kevin Philippart De Foy made an early move to book talented apprentice Toby Moore for the stayer, who is 10lb higher than his last win in May 2024.

Maxi King put in shifts in the Mallard and November handicaps at Doncaster, while in between those efforts, he had a mighty task trying to concede weight to useful royal runner Warrant Holder.

A prominent racer, my 20-1 value pick has struck twice when fresh, and if he bags a good draw, I can see him going well for a long way.