CONSISTENT four-year-old Lake Volta will make a quick return to the track when he lines up in the Sun Racing Handicap at York on Saturday.

Trained in Middleham by Mark Johnston, Lake Volta ran a creditable race to finish eighth in the Wokingham Handicap at Royal Ascot last week, beaten three and a half lengths having raced prominently for much of the six-furlong journey.

That outing was his seventh of an already busy campaign; one that has yielded victories at Yarmouth and Goodwood alongside placed efforts at Thirsk and Epsom.

A versatile performer, Lake Volta mixes sprinting with running over seven furlongs and Charlie Johnston, assistant trainer to his father, expects the horse to acquit himself with credit in this £50,000 contest, although he did issue a note of caution regarding the sharp six furlongs.

“Lake Volta is made of granite – he could run every Saturday without batting an eye-lid and I thought he ran a really good race in the Wokingham,” Johnston said.

“He won over six furlongs at Goodwood, but that was in a much lower grade, and I thought if he is going to win a big race, it was more likely to be over seven furlongs than six.

“That said, this is a nice prize, so while the track might be on the sharp side and this is at the lower-end of his trip range, he was able to race in the front wave in the Wokingham without being under too much pressure and he has plenty of boot.”

Lake Volta has drawn stall seven and he will be partnered for the first time by 5lb claimer Andrew Breslin, who is apprenticed to Johnston and has ridden 30 career winners to date.

“Andrew will take 5lb off him and he had a good start to last season before riding a lot of winners in the second-half of the year,” Johnston added.

“Things haven’t been as easy for him this spring, but he’s had a couple of successful jaunts to Germany recently, and it would be a timely boost for him if he could ride a big Saturday winner.”

A high-quality field of 20 speedsters has been assembled for the Sun Racing Handicap and included among the opposition are five representatives for the defending champion trainer on the Knavesmire, the Malton-based Richard Fahey.

A third Yorkshire yard with a strong track record in Knavesmire sprint handicaps is that of Tim Easterby, who also has a strong hand, fielding a trio of runners; while his uncle Mick will rely on recent Chester winner Quick Look as he tries to plunder another lucrative prize at his local track.

Later on the card, 19 sprinters have been declared to run in the third renewal of the Follow Sun Racing On Twitter "Jump Jockeys" Nunthorpe'.

Run over the same five furlongs as the Group One that lends its name, the £25,000 contest is restricted to riders holding a professional National Hunt license. Among the stars on show will be Sam Twiston-Davies, who last week notched his 1000th career winner. He will ride Captain Colby for trainer Paul Midgley.

Brian Hughes will partner the Keith Dalgleish-trained Lomu, while dual Grand National-winning rider Leighton Aspell – who tasted success over the famous Aintree fences on Pineau De Re and Many Clouds – will get the leg up on Roman River for Martin Smith. The first female rider to win in Grade One company at the Cheltenham Festival, Bryony Frost, is also bidding for a first York victory.

York’s latest fixture is a seven-race card, with the opening contest scheduled to go off at 2.10pm.