MICK Easterby will bid to bridge a 26-year gap at Royal Ascot tomorrow when Doctor Spin lines-up against 29 rivals in the £100,000 Wokingham Handicap.

The veteran Sheriff Hutton trainer gained his one and only Royal Ascot success back in 1976 when the brilliant Lochnager won the King's Stand Stakes. Tomorrow could produce his second victory at Flat-racing's most glitziest meeting.

Doctor Spin, previously trained by Fulke Johnson-Houghton, and sixth in this race last year, joined Easterby this season and has been brought to hand steadily.

His latest effort, when finishing a close-up fifth to his stablemate Elvington Boy at York last month, was over five furlongs. Tomorrow's extra furlong should be much more to his liking.

It's a typically wide-open race, but Doctor Spin has all the right credentials to prevail, and provide Easterby with his second Royal Ascot win - 26 years after his first.

All eyes will be on Johannesburg in the £250,000 Golden Jubilee Stakes.

Aidan O'Brien's colt swept all before him in Europe as a juvenile last season and even conquered the Americans when winning the Breeders' Cup in October.

Although unable to show his best, back on a dirt track, in last month's Kentucky Derby, Johannesburg should be much more at home tomorrow back at six furlongs on turf. He promises to take the world of beating.

The classy Asian Heights is fancied to have the edge over Zindabad (bidding to become Mark Johnston's fourth Royal Ascot winner of the week) in the Hardwicke Stakes, while Hambleton trainer Kevin Ryan has a fighting chance of getting his name on the scoresheet with Haydock winner Seashore in the Henry Carnarvon Stakes.

At Redcar, John Wainwright holds a strong hand in the Tote Scoop6 Handicap with Beyond The Clouds.

The gelding confirmed that his winning turn is near when finishing a credfitabe second at York lst Friday.

Oscar Pepper, winner of two of his last three starts for Ryedale owner Ian Armitage, has every chance of obliging again in Redcar's feature event, the £20,000 Tetley's Handicap. Although his best form has been over shorter distances, this step up to ten furlongs may bring out the best in the David Barron-trained gelding.

The in-foal Lady Two K, a winner at York last weekend, travels to Ayr with good prospects of lifting the Stanley Racing Summer Handicap, while Matty Tun, an unlucky loser at Carlisle last time, looks set for compensation in the John Smith's Sprint Championship.

Tim Easterby looks the trainer to follow at Ayr. He can score with the promising Edmo Yewkay (2-10), Beverley winner Santisima Trinidad (3-10) and the well-regarded Dazzling Bay (4-50), who is napped to prove his liking for soft ground.

- Middleham trainer Mark Johnston's Royal Rebel 16-1 shot rose to the big occasion as he powered to victory in the showpiece Gold Cup at Royal Ascot yesterday for the second successive year.

Tomorrow's tips:

ROYAL ASCOT

2-30 Seashore

3-05 Asian Heights

3-45 Johannesburg

4-20 Doctor Spin

4-55 Desert Alchemy

5-30 Cover Up

REDCAR

2-20 Jewel Of India

2-50 Jahash

3-25 Oscar Pepper

4-00 Beyond The Clouds

4-30 Plumbago

5-05 Platinum Duke

5-35 Moloko

AYR

2-10 Edmo Yewkay

2-40 Lady Two K

3-10 Santisima Trinidad

3-40 Matty Tun

4-15 Gem Bien

4-50 Dazzling Bay (NAP)

Updated: 11:36 Friday, June 21, 2002