Horse Racing: Three-year-old Taxi from Johannesburg can win race for Johnston

Joe LE TAXI can land the hat-trick with victory in the Hare Lane Handicap at Lingfield.

This will be the Johannesburg gelding's first visit to the Surrey track but he has already shown his ability and versatility on the all-weather with successful forays to Southwell and Wolverhampton.

Without a doubt the handicapper is doing his best to make life tougher, but Mark Johnston's three-year-old has not seen much racing and could well be conceivably still one step ahead of the assessor.

A ready five-length call at Wolverhampton saw him defy a 6lb penalty in similar fashion at Southwell last time out.

He is another 11lb higher this time in what does look a decent little race but is taken to continue on the upgrade and is napped.

Johnston seems to send out winners the whole year round and should get his day off to the perfect start in the Bet On Winning Distances At bluesq.com Maiden Stakes with Stagecoach Danman.

The Montjeu colt was no match for Area Fifty One on debut but everything about him that day suggested he would be much better for the experience.