Mark Johnston, who landed the Goodwood Cup three times in the 1990s with Double Trigger and again in 2000 Royal Rebel, can complete a nap-hand of victories with Darasim in tomorrow's Group 2 event.

The Middleham trainer will also saddle Double Obsession and Royal Rebel in this two-miler, but the former falls short of the required standard for this race and the quirky Royal Rebel is held by Darasim on Ascot Gold Cup form.

The talented Royal Rebel, a reluctant hero these days, finished five lengths behind Darasim at Ascot when the latter finished third in that Group 1 contest to Papinau.

Joe Fanning gets on particularly well with Darasim and he is fancied to get the required tune out of him tomorrow in this fascinating £100,000 showpiece, which has attracted a nine-strong field.

Johnston, who has a fine record at Goodwood, can also score with Yoshka in the Valdoe Rated Handicap.

A half-brother to Royal Rebel, Yoshka has won his last two starts in the style of a progressive stayer and Johnston bypassed today's marathon handicap in order to run him against his own age-group tomorrow. Royston Ffrench takes the mount on my Nap selection.

Speed will be at a premium in the King George Stakes over five furlongs on one of the fastest courses in Britain and Majestic Missile has the name and, more importantly, the ability to come out on top.

One of last season's top sprinting juveniles, William Haggas's three-year-old was beaten little more than two lengths into fifth by The Tatling in the King's Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot in June, his only outing this season.

Likely to have benefitted from that outing, and the winner of the Molecomb Stakes over this course and distance last year, Majestic Missile promises to take plenty of catching in this thrilling speed test. Kieren Fallon has the mount.

Distant Connection will also have Fallon's assistance in the opening race, the Albert Handicap over seven furlongs.

The Alan Jarvis-trained handicapper has been running well and was caught only in the dying strides in a similar race to this at York last Saturday. He can gain quick compensation for that defeat.

At Carlisle, Masafi will be all the rage in the St James Secuirity Classified Stakes. Placed with astute precision by Sir Mark Prescott to rack-up a sequence of five wins, Seb Sanders' mount can make it six in this modest event.

Thursday's tip:

Goodwood

2.05 Distant Connection, 2.40 Majestic Missile, 3.15 Darasim, 3.50 Dancing Lyra, 4.25 Miss Sharapova, 5.00 Kehaar, 5.35 Yoshka (Nap).

Carlisle

2.15 Crocodile Kiss, 2.50 Hurricane Floyd, 3.25 Masafi, 4.00 Lord Baskerville, 4.35 Mistress Twister, 5.10 Vandenberghe.

Tomorrow's other meetings are at Epsom (evening, Flat), Musselburgh (evening, Flat) and Stratford (afternoon, National Hunt).

Updated: 12:33 Wednesday, July 28, 2004