Expect Perratt to Get Stuck In at Hamilton

Perratt's outstanding record at the south of Glasgow venue speaks for itself knocking in no less than 31 winners there over the past five seasons.

And it's in the feature race on the card, the Tote Showcase Handicap, that Get Stuck In must have a tremendous chance despite a crushing burden of 10 stone on his back.

Kevin Darley's mount showed blinding pace to lead a classy field on a merry dance for the first five furlongs of a £20,000 six-furlong event at Newcastle on Saturday.

This afternoon's contest represents a significant drop in grade, and bearing in mind the selection has won at the track before, the gelding will take some pegging back provided he demonstrates his normal zip from the gate.

In the Mississippi Mud Pie Stakes, Grand Estate (4.15) has serious claims following a string of consistent efforts.

David's Chapman's speedster, who posted an impressive brace of back-to-back wins at the course almost exactly 12 months ago, appears to be heading for an encore if current form is anything to go by.

For the finale, the Stars And Stripes Handicap, I just favour Perchancer (4.45), who had absolutely no luck in running when a fast-finishing fourth over track and trip a fortnight ago.

Patrick Haslam's imposing four-year-old is not hard to spot by virtue of the broad white blaze across the front of his handsome head.

Talented 3lb claiming jockey Paul Goode needs to steer clear of trouble, but if he does find a clear passage, I feel sure Haslam's raider will be involved in the shake up.

Sir Michael Stoute's Zafonic's Song (2.00) should win the opening Acle Maiden Stakes at Yarmouth, although it will hardly make up for the dreadful injury his 2000 Guineas hero King's Best incurred in the Irish Derby on Sunday.

Zafonic's Song, fifth in a Group 3 event at Sandown in April, would be conceding lumps of weight all round were this handicap, figures which suggest he is head and shoulders above today's opposition.

Barry Hills has been having a lean time of late, however two winners on Saturday signalled a revival was in the air for the great Lambourn handler.

Hills' has always held Trouble Mountain (3.30) in high regard, twice successful and never once out of the first four as a juvenile. The bred-in-the-pink Mount Livermore colt can now take advantage of his lowly weight in the Trett Consulting Conditions Stakes.

Rich In Love (4.30), a standing dish in recent years at the Seaside resort, is fancied to improve an already impressive east-coast tally in the closing Loddon Fillies' Handicap.

l Mark Johnston has pledged to stand by Royston Ffrench and Darryll Holland, the two jockeys who committed high-profile riding offences on his horses over the weekend.

Ffrench made an embarrassing blunder at Doncaster on Sunday when he eased down, resulting in Happy Diamond losing a race he should have won easily.

While 24 hours earlier Holland was found to have breached the non-triers rule for his riding of Johnston's Champfis at Newcastle.

''The jockeys have made mistakes but there's no question of them not riding for me again,'' he said.

''In Royston's case I'm sure it will haunt him in the future and I'm not going to stick the boot into him.

''He's made a mistake and I'm not going to make it any worse for him. He knows what he has done.''

The trainer is unsure what can be done to prevent a repeat of Ffrench's error which brought a 14-day ban for the jockey.

Happy Diamond was several lengths clear when Ffrench eased down, allowing McGillycuddy Reeks to catch him on the line.

It was one of the worst cases of its kind, though leading riders such as Willie Carson and Kevin Darley have been guilty of similar errors.

Television pundit John McCririck, among others, has made calls for much tougher punishments for such offences.

Johnston said: ''I'm not sure what course of action should be should taken.

''But remember that it's just as bad for the owners as the punters. In this instance the owners would have collected £7,000 in prize money.

''This sort of thing needs to be stamped out quickly. It's got to be made clear that horses must be ridden out all the way to the line.''

Johnston was incensed over the decision of the Newcastle stewards to find that the non-triers rule had been breached over the running and riding of Champfis.

The horse was deemed to have been schooled in public after it made late headway under tender handling to finish fourth in a maiden race.

Johnston, attending a wedding at the time, was fined £750. Holland was suspended for five days and the horse banned for 30 days.

It was the first time in 14 years that the trainer had been found in breach of the non-triers rule.

''I'm not going to say much more about it now. I will save that for the appeal on Friday,'' he said.

''But whatever anybody says there was simply no question of us cheating.''

Friday will also be an important day for Johnston at the racecourse.

He might run four of his five entries Akbar, Ice, Carousing, Sharp Play and Atlantic Rhapsody, in the £100,000 Tote Exacta Handicap at Sandown.

Johnston won the race in its previous guise in 1998 with Yavana's Pace when it was known as the Hong Kong Jockey Club Trophy