ORIENT CLASS, who started last year with a Catterick win on his first outing of the season, this evening bids to prove that lightning can indeed strike in the same place twice.

Trained at Westow by Paul Midgley, Orient Class lines up in the Don’t Miss Saturday 23rd May Handicap, Catterick’s concluding event over the minimum distance.

Following on from his success at this venue last spring, Orient Class went on to win at Musselburgh and Ayr during a campaign in which he showed steady improvement.

Now a four-year-old, there could be more to come from the North Yorkshire sprinter this season.

Teamed up tonight with Graham Lee, who has won on him in the past, Orient Class is fancied to return to action in a blaze of glory - for the second successive year.

Mark Johnston can win the Book Now For 29th May Maiden Stakes with Spirit Of Wedza.

Formerly trained by David Watchman in Ireland, where she showed ability, Spirit Of Wedza finished second at Ayr on his reappearance. This looks a good opportunity for him to break his duck under Joe Fanning.

Johnston also has good prospects of landing the racinguk.com Maiden Auction Stakes with Mistymoistymorning, a respectable runner-up at Southwell last week. Slight preference, however, is for the David O’Meara-trained Bond Bombshell following a solid effort at Beverley last time.

Bond Bombshell made a bold bid to overcome a wide draw on her latest start when chasing home the speedy (and better-drawn) Arranmore Girl. She is more favourably berthed this time and can go one better under Sam James.

Also worth noting at Catterick are Michael Dods’ Finn Class (7.30), narrowly denied by the in-form Al Khan at Ayr last week, and Politbureau (8.00), who carries the nap to follow up his recent Redcar success.

Norton trainer Malcolm Jefferson, who had a double at Sedgefield last week, returns to the course with good prospects of producing a repeat.

He has solid chances with Major Ivan and Cape York.

The former won by 15 lengths on this track last month and did not have to be asked a serious question. He now bids to double up under a penalty in the John Wade Group ‘National Hunt’ Novices’ Hurdle and is fancied to take all the beating under Brian Hughes.

Cape York, who runs in the John Wade Waste Recycling Handicap Chase, won at Wetherby on his penultimate outing.

He has since finished third at Market Rasen, but bearing in mind, he is a former winner at this venue, it would be no surprise to see him resume winning ways.

Jefferson also has a leading chance in the Violet Steams Goes Ahead Novices’ Handicap Chase with Our Boy Ben, but preference is for Shady Lane, trained by Dan Skelton, whose horses continue in tremendous form.

A winner at Fakenham in December, he subsequently finished third at Warwick the following month. He has his first outing since this afternoon and also switches to fences.

He is better handicapped over the major obstacles, at which he’s currently winnerless from four attempts. But this is not a race which will take a lot of winning and Shady Lane may be the solution.

Definite Dream is the winner of three of his seven races over fences.

Today he switches to the minor obstacles in the Sedgefield Racecourse Own A CaseIH 75CFarmall Novices’ Hurdle.

Although yet to win over hurdles in four tries, Definite Dream has gained a heap of experience since. He would be a dangerous horse to dismiss lightly under Paul Moloney.

Conditional jockey Finn O’Toole, who has recently moved from Jefferson’s yard to Micky Hammond at Middleham, has a fighting chance of gaining his first riding success in Britain on Amir Pasha in the Carlsberg Handicap Hurdle.

O’Toole rode Amir Pasha into a creditable sixth place on this course last week. A minor step up on that effort from the gelding should ensure that he’s firmly in the firing line this time.

Sedgefield today: 2.10 Definite Dream, 2.40 Major Ivan, 3.10 Pyjama Game, 3.40 Cape York, 4.10 Shady Lane, 4.40 Sam Lord, 5.10 Amir Pasha.

Catterick today: 6.00 Bond Bombshell, 6.30 Stepping Ahead, 7.00 Spirit Of Wedza, 7.30 Finn Class, 8.00 Politbureau (NAP), 8.30 Orient Class.

Today’s other meetings: Brighton, Exeter and Fakenham.