Such is the strength in depth in Mark Johnston’s 200- horsepower yard in Middleham that it is not beyond the bounds of possibility that the North Yorkshire trainer could saddle five winners at Newcastle today.

Johnston, whose horses are in good heart, has chance after chance at Gosforth Park of hitting the bullseye, not least with nap selection Box Office, who looks the type of horse to thrive for the trainer this year.

Confined to just three outings as a juvenile, Box Office scored on the last of them at Leicester in October when he decisively landed a seven furlongs maiden affair.

Stepped up to a mile in the Gosforth Decorating & Building Services Handicap, he looks to have excellent prospects of beginning this campaign like he ended the last one – on a winning note.

Touchdown, another horse who won on the last of his three starts last term, is saddled by Johnston in the Parklands Golf Club Handicap.

A four-year-old, so lightly raced and thus open to further improvement, Touchdown should give an excellent account of himself in this mile and a half event. Joe Fanning, also the rider of Box Office, has the mount.

Thebes runs for Johnston in the £18,000 St James Security Handicap and is another who should make a bold bid from Kingsley House Stables.

The four-year-old showed his winning turn was near at Pontefract last week when he went down narrowly to Advanced in the feature sprint on the card.

Thebes may not have to improve much on that effort to go one better today in the hands of Royston Ffrench.

In the S V Rutter Handicap, Al Mugtareb will not be short of supporters as he aims to post his second win from two starts this season. A Catterick winner on his debut over six furlongs, this progressive colt will benefit from the step up to seven and, off a fair handicap mark, should go well with Tagdh O’Shea again taking the mount.

The promising Gilded Age, beaten in a photo-finish at Redcar two weeks ago, adds further power to the big Johnston army in the Parklands Golf Club Maiden Stakes.

Also worth noting at Newcastle are Farne Island (2.20), a good second at Pontefract last week, who will again have the assistance of Norton apprentice Jamie Kyne, and Ace Of Spies (3.20), just caught over seven furlongs at Beverley last week and now dropped back to six furlongs by Thirsk trainer Geoff Harker.

Tomorrow, Bath produces a useful programme highlighted by the £40,000 EBF Landsdowne Fillies’ Stakes, a Listed race over five furlongs.

Speed Song may prove the answer to this tricky event.

Although she does not come out best on official figures, the William Haggas-trained filly was confined to just two runs last season and acquitted herself really well, winning on her comeback at Sandown before finishing a creditable second on the same course.

She clearly runs well fresh and, consequently, she may be more ready than others to do herself full justice tomorrow. She is awarded the nap vote.


Racing selections

Newcastle (today)
2.20 Farne Island, 2.50 Touchdown, 3.20 Ace Of Spies, 3.50 Box Office (NAP), 4.20 Thebes, 4.50 Al Mugtareb, 5.20 Gilded Age.

Today’s other meetings:
Plumpton, Southwell, Towcester and Windsor.

Bath (tomorrow)
2.10 Avon River, 2.45 Magnitude, 3.20 Rosika, 3.55 Scottish Affair, 4.30 Riqaab, 5.05 Speed Song (NAP), 5.40 Piste.

Tomorrow’s other meetings:
Lingfield, Nottingham, Sedgefield and Wincanton.