/ Editor / 27 June 2007 /

Zero Tolerance showed he was returning to something like his best at York last month and David Baron's seven-year-old looks to have an excellent chance in Newcastle's feature handicap (15:30).

The gelding began this season in quiet fashion, showing little on two starts at Newcastle in the Lincoln and in a competitive handicap at Newbury. He was beaten both times by double figure distances.

However, an excellent run at York at the Dante Meeting showed the gelding to still be in good heart. Racing bravely from the front, as is his style, he was only collared inside the distance. The form of that contest is working out well with the winner, Blythe Knight, going on to land a Group Three contest at Epsom and both Wise Dennis and Pride Of Nation running respectably in the Buckingham Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot.

Expect Paul Fessey once again to try and make all and, if running up to a similar mark, then he could prove very hard to pass given his ability on the ground and with this looking now his optimum trip.

Traders are going to have to make a serious decision about European Dream. Richard Guest's gelding has continued to defy the handicapper this season and connections will be looking to land a fourth valuable race success this term already. A winner at this track on Lincoln day, two below par runs followed before the application of blinkers saw the gelding land back to back races at Ripon and Redcar.

The decision that needs to be made is whether there is any more improvement to come. It is arguable that he was all out to score on his latest outing and certainly benefited that day from a muddling pace.

There will be many who want to oppose him here considering he must lumber a huge weight, is up in the handicap and has the disadvantage of being apprentice ridden. Should his price get too short, the hat-trick seeker may become very popular to lay both in the win and place market.

Hassaad is an interesting type, even if punters must take his ability to handle the soft surface on trust. His three starts this season have been most promising. A good winner of an Ascot handicap on his reappearance, Willie Haggas' charge was unlucky when upped in trip in the Zetland Gold Cup due to continually being denied a run. He put that effort behind him on his latest start when running competently in a Sandown handicap, that is working out well from a form point of view and it was a race contested in a good time for conditions.

Expect his jockey Richard Hills to have him closer to the action in this contest and, if getting a clear run, could give the likely leader, Zero Tolerance, most to think about in the closing stages.

Rio Riva would have started a clear market leader if coming into the race in the same form he had showed earlier in the year, most notably when running well from a poor draw in the Lincoln. However, two below par efforts at Ripon and Epsom suggest traders may want to hold fire about Julie Camacho's gelding until he shows signs of returning to form and may interest place layers if his price becomes too skinny.

Another who really needs to show he is returning to form is King's Point who, on his best form, would eat this lot for breakfast. Placed in Group Two company last season, the entire is suited by this trip and the ground will be no problem.

Out of sorts in Ned Al Sheba during the winter, he put in an encouraging run at Thirsk on his penultimate start, making stealthy late progress. However, the six-year-old floundered on a soft surface at York on his latest start and needs to pick up on that to get competitive here. Any drying of the ground will be in his favour and market support would be interesting (totally unfancied at York.)

Captive to hold rivals to ransom

The Hoppings Stakes (Newcastle 16:30) has attracted a small but interesting field and it could pay to check out the form credentials of the likely outsider Ransom Captive.

It is her penultimate run at Newbury which is most interesting given it came under similar conditions to here and was run in a god time for conditions. Although the winner of that contest has disappointed since, it can still be described as a useful effort. Although the three-year-old is more exposed those some of her rivals, it would be no surprise to see her improving again. Likely to make all, she could be hard to pass as the line bears down given she appears to hold her form well.

The betting is likely to centre around Sir Michael Stoute's twice-raced Promising Lead who improved on her debut win at Newbury when caught close home at York in a Listed contest. Should she improve again she will take all the beating her though her ability to act on the surface is an unknown. Drying conditions would play to her strengths and, although beaten at odds-on last time, looks likely to start a very short favourite.

Mango Mischief has been well below-par this season but a look back to last season would give her every chance. The former John Dunlop inmate has struggled to find the form which saw her twice Group Three placed last term and it could be this drop back in trip that sees her to better effect.

In Safe Hands finished ahead of Ransom Captive at Newbury before arguably failing to produce here best in the Sandringham at the Royal Meeting. She was entitled to get closer that day and one possible excuse may have been the ground. However, although officially good to firm, it was riding much slower and it seems the case that the filly just ran below par. Therefore, an improved display is needed and a deterioration of ground conditions would be a boost for her chances considering she ran well in very soft condition in her native Ireland as a juvenile.

Third time lucky for Montaquila

Five previous winners line up in the novice auction stakes at Newcastle (15:00) but it could pay to give another chance to Howard Johnson's Montaquila.

The colt has twice been in the money over this trip. Beaten into third by Royal Ascot placed Feared In Flight and the twice subsequently placed Nawaaf on his debut, the two-year-old was sent off long odds-on on his latest start, but could only finish third once again when possibly unsuited by the fast ground.

Both those races have a solid look about them from a form point of view and were run in good times for the conditions. A repeat of either of those two efforts would see him being hard to beat and he is once again likely to come in for plenty of support at the trainer's local track.

Pelican Prince improved plenty when winning his maiden over course and distance last time out having previously ran a fair effort on his debut at the same track.

Well supported that day, he pulled away in the closing stages despite hanging to his right. If improving again, he could prove hard to beat though the colt faces much stiffer opposition here as well as much slower ground.

Both Eternal Luck and Mahusay have similar profiles in terms of form through a line with Advertisment and the pair scored nicely on their respective debuts. The Newmarket-based duo will need to improve again to get serious here with the slight preference given to the latter, trained by Luca Cumani, who has proved he handles a soft surface.

Eternal Luck ran very green when scoring on his debut and can also be expected to improve but their must remain doubts about his ability to handle the surface.

Another previous scorer is Style Award. The filly gained her victory in game style last time out but faces here not only a step up in trip but also a marked change in the going. It is possible that this speedy sort might try and dominate things from the front.

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