The eyes of the racing world will be firmly focused on the region when Royal Ascot at York begins tomorrow. The Northern Echo's racing correspondent Colin Woods (Janus), looks at the runners and riders over the five day festival and gives you his ten-to-follow.

THE task of sorting out winners for this week's Royal Ascot at York meeting need not be too daunting provided would-be backers don't get carried away with the big occasion.

They say it's easy to part a fool from his money and having a bet in each and every one of the 30 races over the glittering five-day fixture represents a one-way ticket to the poor house.

A glass or two of bubbly and suddenly the temptation is to wade in with a fistful of dollars, but don't even think about that particular strategy because those greedy bookies know they'll collect unless their customers are prepared to adopt a far more prudent policy.

In order to try and maximise the potential of making a profit, a total of ten carefully selected each-way investments during the week is nice round figure to work on.

Despite the fact the principal UK and Irish trainers, plus a spattering from abroad have teed up millions of pounds worth of horseflesh to cherry-pick the cream of the prize-money, it's towards more locally-based contenders we turn to help pay for the champagne and strawberries.

The action gets underway at 2.30 on Tuesday, with likely interest from our region centred upon Bryan Smart's Sir Xaar, Amadeus Wolf from Kevin Ryan's yard, plus Howard Johnson's, Master Plasta, all entered in the Coventry Stakes.

As usual, the six-furlong Group 2 juvenile dash is red-hot, nonetheless, the talented trio are far from back numbers, with preference for Sir Xaar, who clocked an excellent speed figure at Pontefract last month.

Scorton-based David Barker is hopeful his stable-star, Celtic Mill, can land the King's Stand Stakes at 3.05.

Without a shadow of doubt the best horse Barker has ever trained, Celtic Mill, who smashed the five-furlong track record at Doncaster in 2004, limbered up for the £140,000 showpiece with a breathtaking all-the-way success in Sandown's Temple Stakes.

"I believe York will suit him, he's got a penalty for the Sandown win, but is in good form and deserves to take his chance," reasoned Barker.

Having scooped last year's lung-busting two-and-a-half-mile Ascot Stakes with Double Obsession, Mark Johnston bids to win the marathon for a second time by going in mob-handed.

Arguably pick of his quintet is Chester Cup runner-up, Swift Sailor, partnered by Kevin Darley. Although Darley has always been extremely sweet on the grey four-year-old, for once I'm deserting camp Johnston in favour of neighbouring Middleham raider, Patrick Haslam's King Revo.

Put in this year's Racing North ten-to-follow list specifically for this type of stamina-sapping affair, King Revo, a Cheltenham winner over hurdles this winter, has the sublime assistance of expert hold-up jockey, Jamie Spencer, to help his cause.

Wednesday opens up with three stunning Group races, however it is in the Royal Hunt Cup, a one-mile handicap, that the locals might find something to cheer via Blue Spinnaker at 4.20.

Trained just up the road at Sheriff Hutton by the septuagenarian, Mick Easterby, Blue Spinnaker has been the subject of a sustained ante-post gamble during the past seven days, his price plummeting from 16's to 12-1 with most of the leading layers.

A former winner of Redcar's Zetland Gold Cup, Easterby has all-along targeted his gutsy gelding specifically for the Hunt Cup, relying on up-and-coming apprentice rider, Paul Mulrennan, to cut his way through the throng.

In the following Queen Mary Stakes, don't leave Karl Burke's Clare Hills out of calculations at 5.05.

The Spigot Lodge filly not only blasted clear of her rivals in Beverley's Hillary Needler, but also would have won by a far wider margin had she not veered right across the track in the closing stages.

David Nicholls is always a man to be feared when gearing up for a crack at the betting ring, pulling off one of the punts of the season when Lafi landed the 2004 Wokingham.

Dandy goes into battle with several good chances, including his flying two-year-old, Strike Up The Band, one favourites for Thursday's curtain raiser, the Norfolk Stakes.

"He's got stacks of toe and now heads for the Royal Meeting," declared the Sessay-near-Thirsk trainer after his youngster had drubbed a decent field in listed company at Goodwood.

On paper the Ascot Gold Cup appears a re-match between Godolphin's 2004 hero, Papineau, and French staying ace Westerner, however, Howard Johnson's Percussionist, runner-up at the course in the Yorkshire Cup, could be worth a second glance at rewarding odds.

Mark Johnston's record at the Royal meeting over the past decade is positively outstanding, and even though stable standard bearer Attraction is currently sidelined, Friday still could turn out to be a bonanza for the fiery Scot.

Johnston pitches in Brahminy Kite and Melrose Avenue (King Edward V11 Stakes), together with Neros Return (Wolferton Handicap), and Elliots World, Hiddensee, Love Palace, I'm So Lucky, and Quizzene in the King George V Stakes.

"Brahminy Kite is by Silver Hawk, so should be suited by a trip and could be anything," revealed Johnston, who placed Melrose Avenue to be a fine third in the Lingfield Derby Trial.

Neros Return needs to improve, but Quizzene, successful in a brace of tough heats at Sandown and Chester, must be regarded a serious contender if making the line-up for the last-named mile-and-a-half event.

Finally to Saturday and Quito's opportunity to give David Chapman a first-ever Group 1 triumph in the Golden Jubilee Stakes.

Revered amongst his fellow professional rank-and-file as a brilliant handler of sprinters, 70-year-old Chapman has worked wonders with lightning fast Quito, purchased for peanuts, yet now capable of holding his own at the very highest level.

Six Furlongs is also the distance for the Wokingham Handicap, in which Tim Easterby's North Yorkshire-trained Dazzling Bay, and Richard Fahey's Fonthill Road and Philharmonic, make appeal at odds of 20-1 or better to keep the spoils on home soil.

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