MODESTY is the hallmark of Joe Fanning, one of the unsung heroes of Mark Johnston's all-conquering Middleham operation.

With Kevin Darley grabbing most of the headlines by partnering the majority of the high-profile Johnston winners at the likes of Royal Ascot, Fanning has to make do with some of the powerful stable's lesser lights.

Yet in his own quiet way Joe has already amassed 44 winners this term, tending to let his skill in the saddle do the talking, rather than complain about having to play second fiddle to Darley.

It was Fanning at his brilliant best when he cajoled the yard's three-year-old Affray to victory at Bath last time out. That was a relatively minor contest, but this afternoon there are far bigger fish to fry in the £20,000 Cumberland Plate at Carlisle.

Affray (3.00) is a horse with tons of ability, however he doesn't always "travel" as well as he should in races, making life hard both for himself and his jockey when it comes to shovelling on the coal at the business end.

A bit of cover is generally helpful in these types of situations, so the fact that 20 runners are going to post for the mile-and-a-half contest should enable Fanning to bury his mount in the pack before the real action unwinds up the testing home straight.

In the opening five-furlong Median Auction Stakes, Chico Guapo (2.00) has the chance to claw back some of the massive losses sustained on the colt at Redcar this month.

Jeremy Glover's juvenile was the subject of a massive gamble that day, backed at all rates from 16-1 in the morning in Ireland, right down to 9-4 favourite on course.

Clearly Chico Guapo must have been catching pigeons on Glover's gallops to have attracted such a welter of cash therefore it will be no surprise if he comes good at only the second time of asking.

In the later one-mile Boot And Shoe Classified Stakes, Young Rosein (4.00) does appear to be the proverbial steering job.

The Geraldine Rees-trained mare possesses the sort of hindquarters most colts would die for, muscles which have already powered her to success over course and distance in the past.

All the signs are that Young Rosien is about to hit top form using her latest promising effort at Haydock as a yardstick and for my money all Tony Culhane will have to do is point her in the right direction.

Kieren Fallon teams up with his old boss Lynda Ramsden in the closing Saffie Joseph & Sons Handicap aboard Amused (5.00).

The selection is from the same family as a couple of the stable's useful older speedsters, Bishops Court and Astonished, distinguished enough relations to suggest Amused is about to make a big step up on anything she has achieved to date.

Darlington to Salisbury is a heck of a long way to travel so Michael Dods will be hoping his talented but quirky sprinter Mungo Park (3.45) puts his best foot forward in the Blackthorn Cider Handicap.

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