DESPITE the burden of top-weight, Top Dirham (3.00) takes the eye as one of the best bets of the day at Newcastle this afternoon.

Mick Easterby's smart miler has hit both post and crossbar so far this season, but now is the time for the six-year-old to put the ball in the back of the net by picking up the Gosforth Decorating Services Handicap.

Top Dirham has made the frame on each of his two starts over the past couple of months - his latest near miss coming at Thirsk where he finished a close-up third to Karl Burke's Harry Potter.

The form of that race has already produced winners, including fifth-home Sarraaf, who subsequently went on to collect an ultra-competitive event at Redcar.

Armed with such compelling evidence, it might prove folly to oppose Top Dirham, especially as his stable is currently firing on all cylinders.

Apprentice jockey Lee Enstone is good value for his 3lb claim, which augurs well for the prospects of Rotuma (4.30), a leading contender in the mile-and-a-quarter nitex.co.uk Handicap.

The Michael Dods-trained gelding showed no signs of stopping when galloping on gamely to secure third-spot on his most recent outing at Haydock. Rotuma doesn't like to be disappointed, so expect Lee to have his mount up with the pace throughout the first mile, prior to making the final push for victory on the stiff uphill climb to the line.

Beverley stages a couple of cracking two-year-old heats beginning with the Listed Hilary Needler Trophy.

High numbers normally hold the aces and given that Mizz Tee (7.05) is drawn 15, she must be high on any punters' short-list. Tim Easterby's filly lowered the colours of Hanseatic League at Ripon recently, and since the latter looks to be a colt with bags of speed plus scope, it is not difficult to deduce that Mizz Tee is a juvenile with speed to burn.

In the later Brian Yeardley Continental Stakes, the likely market leader, Joseph Henry (8.10), makes plenty of appeal.

Mark Johnston won the 2003 race with Great Scott, and it'll be no surprise if the in-form Middleham handler bags the prize for a second year in succession given the explosive pace demonstrated by Joseph Henry when scoring by five lengths on his latest outing at Nottingham.

Johnston has excellent prospects of landing a treble on the evening because his two other runners, Dunlea Dancer (6.35) and Snap (7.35), are likely to lead the way home in their respective races.

Dunlea Dancer has not shown much sparkle so far in his career, however he now steps up markedly in trip and like so many of Johnston's three-year-olds is likely to appreciate the sterner test of stamina in the Big Screen Handicap.

Snap goes for the later Sky Bet Handicap having narrowly opened his account by edging out Flying Bantam over six furlongs at Thirsk in April. Like Dunlea Dancer, Snap moves up in distance and he also possesses the profile of a potentially progressive sort.

For the nap selection, I'm relying on Double Vodka (8.40) to come up trumps.

After a particularly tardy exit from the stalls, Lynda Ramsden's representative was well out with the washing until making stealthy late headway at Thirsk.

Considering Double Vodka forfeited so much early ground on that occasion he did well to snatch sixth place and the combination of tonight's much stiffer track, together with the booking of Tony Culhane, could make the world of difference to his final placing.