Timeform UK SmartPlays: Friday 29 March

Champagne Rules - 17:55 Newcastle

Champagne Rules did well to finish runner-up over this C&D when last seen in January, given he pulled hard in a steadily-run race, and in the expectation he gets a proper pace to aim at this time, he is taken to prove himself to be well handicapped from the same mark. Echo reacted really well to blinkers when successful last time and is a threat, along with Nevada.

Maid For Life - 19:00 Newcastle

There was a good deal of encouragement to glean from Maid For Life's debut effort back in October, learning as the race wore on to finish second over seven furlongs at Chelmsford. She ought to have derived plenty from that initial experience and could improve past Astonished, who was a good winner on her respective debut, and is not dismissed despite conceding chunks of weight all round.

Thaayer - 19:30 Newcastle

An opening handicap mark of 81 for Thaayer on the back of his C&D success in a minor event in November could prove lenient judged on the subsequent exploits of the runner-up Matterhorn and Rebecca Menzies' charge is taken to prove too strong for course-specialist Rey Loopy. Trevithick is another with a solid record here and also merits respect.