PAUL JOHNSON'S small yard has been having a fairly quiet season, but there is hope on the horizon should Hormuz (5.00) come back to anything like his best form in this afternoon's one-mile Amateur Rider's Handicap at Beverley.

To say Hormuz is well in at the weights would be a something of an understatement because on his first outing for Paul's Stanley-based stable nearly 12 months ago the gelding won over the course and distance off a mark of 66.

Since that time the much-travelled ex-Mark Johnston, Milton Bradley and David Nicholls inmate has plummeted down to a ratings of 55. And there is further cause for encouragement with regard to Hormuz given the booking of the reigning lady amateur champion, Carol Williams, for the ride.

The potential drawback to backing Johnson's representative is the not-too-impressive way he has been performing this summer. However, Hormuz is hard to keep out of the winners' enclosure for long and has not been set an onerous task today.

Another horse to have been looked on favourably by racing's officialdom is James Bethell's Stretton (3.15), down a few pounds as a result of a losing run stretching back to May 2002.

At first glance it appears that Stretton ran a shade poorly when only ninth of 19 at Doncaster last time out, but closer analysis reveals the race was not run at a strong enough pace to suit Stretton, who was held up with the stragglers.

In fact the selection did make significant late headway, although unfortunately by that time the leaders had already flown. In the much smaller field for the Nick Wilmott-Smith Memorial Handicap, Stretton is unlikely to become so detached early on and therefore be better placed to launch a fast, late challenge.

Bethell might easily complete an across-the-card double via Granston (6.25) in the Sportsbetcharge Telebetting Nursery at Haydock.

Having run with promise on a couple of occasions this term, Granston then ironically ran like a camel with only three legs last time out at Redcar when carrying the nap selection.

As we have graciously noted before, horses, like people, are entitled to at least one bad day at the office and Granston, a lovely big, long-striding, grey colt, may well make amends in the £5,200 two-year-old contest.

A low draw is a monster advantage for front-runners on the one-mile track and from stall number one Jeepstar (8.25) may prove devilishly hard to pass in the closing Telebet Handicap.

Cynics would argue that backing five-year-old maidens beaten on all 45 starts to date is one of the quickest ways to the poor house, nevertheless I'll still be investing some of my hard-earned cash on Theatre Lady (7.10) at Chepstow.

Only sheer bad luck has prevented Theatre Lady winning so far, and if the evidence of her latest pair of second placings is anything to go by, she is surely poised to break her duck.

* Bookie bashing tipster Janus (Colin Woods) made it five winning nap selections from the last ten when Marinas Charm stormed to a whopping 20-1 success at Hamilton last night.

* Enigmatic superstar Hawk Wing has been retired from racing after failing to recover from a leg injury.

The announcement was made by the colt's connections yesterday after scans on the knee-ligament injury he suffered when beaten in the Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot on his final outing.

He will now join the stallion team at Coolmore Stud in the Republic of Ireland.

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