Colin Woods visits the North Yorkshire town of Middleham, home to thoroughbreds since the mid-18th Century.

EQUINE lovers and history scholars alike have a long and happy association with Middleham, the tiny North Yorkshire town famous for its medieval castle and tradition of racehorse training.

Richard III briefly ruled the land from Middleham during the period 1483-85, but the town was probably in decline by the time thoroughbreds arrived on the scene during the middle of the 18th Century.

As successive generations plundered the stone and gradually reduced the castle to ruins, the racing industry moved in the opposite direction to a position of strength, which has been maintained for well over 250 years.

Nowadays, the sound of 500 horses' hooves can be heard in one place or another pounding up the high and low moors, each one taking part in a daily exercise routine under the watchful eye of their respective trainers.

And it is a selection of these trainers who have been generous enough in the past decade to supply loyal readers of Racing North with a whole bundle of moneyspinning winners.

The point couldn't have been better illustrated than in last year's annual pull-out when Patrick Haslam put forward Kinnaird as a filly to follow in 2005.

Admittedly, Kinnaird didn't come up trumps until the autumn, but her famous 33-1 Group 1 victory in the Prix de l'Opera on Arc day at Longchamp was well worth waiting for.

Such invaluable snippets are like nuggets of gold and so it is again to Haslam's stable we turn in the hope of plucking a successful name or two for 2006.

His able assistant trainer and first lieutenant, three-time ladies' amateur champion jockey on the Flat, Carol Bartley, nominated MAROUSSIES WINGS as a potential leading light. "Having won her Ayr maiden, she was fifth in a one-mile Listed race at Newmarket. The filly has done really well over the winter and ideally needs soft to show her best, " she said.

"BEDOIN BLUE, who finished second in a seven-furlong Newcastle maiden, is also making up into a nice three-year-old, while IMPECCABLE GUEST, an Orpen filly, should win races in her own grade.

"From the older horses, ALFRED THE GREAT, who has been in winning action over the jumps this winter, plus KING REVO, second in last season's Cesarewitch, are worth keeping an eye out if the boss decides to run them back on the Flat, " said Carol.

Spigot Lodge's Karl Burke enjoyed another bumper campaign last year, harvesting 62 winners and amassing nearly half-a-million pounds in prize money.

"During the past eight years there have only been three individual months when we haven't had a winner, that takes some doing, " said Burke, whose team has been going great guns on the all-weather circuit this winter.

"By the start of the turf season we should have around 90 horses.

"We've had a steady flow of successes since relocating to Middleham and worked very hard to get new owners as well as keep our existing ones.

"SPEEDY SAM is still a maiden, but he's a lovely individual, likely to do well for us. Although he was second on both of his starts at Ayr and York last year, I was never 100 per cent happy and it later transpired he had a hairline fracture behind.

"That was probably the reason why he started slowly and gave away vital early ground on both of his starts.

"Speedy Sam is fine now and all being well should go on to better things.

"ANGEL VOICES was placed twice last year, including taking third spot in a valuable seven-furlong event in Ireland. She's been entered in the French and Italian 1,000 Guineas, whether she's up to that grade we don't know at this stage but, whatever, the filly is useful.

"I also like the prospects of THUNDERWING. He was our best two-year-old in 2004, then a shade disappointing last season.

We've had him gelded and I think you'll now see a totally different horse, " said Burke.

Ashgill's John Weymes was under the weather with a stomach bug when I went to visit, but that didn't stop him getting excited about CROSBY VISION and CROSBY MILLIE.

"Crosby Vision only ran three times last year. He showed promise on his Pontefract debut, then failed to act on soft ground at Chester, however made up for it with a seven-furlong victory in an 18-runner Redcar maiden.

"He's got plenty of pace so we might start him off at the same trip and see where we go after, being by Agnes World his pedigree suggests he'll improve again.

"Crosby Millie is a nice twoyear-old and she's one to watch more towards the back end."

His neighbour, Andy Crook, only has a handful of Flat horses, although he did give a favourable mention for TWO DREAMERS.

"She's a half-sister to a couple of winners and Marcus Tregoning has trained all the family, which gives you an idea of the strength of pedigree. She's pleased us in her work so far and could be a steal at only 800 guineas, " said Crook.

Ever-helpful Chris Thornton was keen for us to know that his consistent handicapper, LETS ROLL, will be stepped up in distance with a mid-season target of Newcastle's Northumberland Plate.

"I'm really pleased with the way Lets Roll has wintered and I believe he has a big staying handicap in him, " he said.

Following the death of Don Enrico Incisa, James Bethell has relocated from Tupgill to Thorngill, previously occupied apart from Don Enrico by such great characters as Eric Collingwood and Joe Hartigan.

"We're investing big-time to upgrade facilities here.

"This is a wonderful place and it's lovely to have paddocks in which to turn the horses out when necessary, " said Bethell, casting an eye over the magnificent view of Coverdale below.

"MINE will go his normal route and take in the Victoria Cup, Royal Hunt Cup, plus Bunbury Cup (handicap mark allowing - and all of which he's won at least once before).

"From the three-year-olds, NESNO (North East Says No - to Regional Assembly) is a nice big horse likely to stay ten furlongs for the Elliott Brothers, while STRAWBERRY DALE, winner of a Listed race at Doncaster, will try her luck in similar company, plus Group 3 races."

Glasgow House handler Chris Fairhurst offered up THE THRIFTY BEAR as a three-yearold gelding capable of significant progress.

"He won his six-furlong maiden at Thirsk in good style, but we realised he was out of his depth in better company when we took him to Ayr next time, " reported Fairhurst.

Sharp Hill Farm proprietor Kate Walton concentrates mainly on the National Hunt arena, nevertheless she left the last word for EPICUREAN.

"She's come from James Given's stable where they were aiming quite high with her. If we set our sights a little bit lower she could be all right, " she said.