Through The Card: Newcastle, Friday 31 January

16:15 - MATEWAN (6) has been in good form of late and again ran well at Wolverhampton recently, travelling strongly throughout and looking the likeliest winner for much of the race before being gunned down late on by a well-treated rival. He sets the form standard in this contest and should be able to hold off all challenges.

16:45 - SOMEWHAT SISPHEAN (10) is going the right way now and wasn't overly punished on his first run for four months at Newcastle in December, catching the eye late on. He is certainly not one to dismiss at this level and, with the step back down in trip likely to eke out further improvement, he is taken to open his account at the expense of Al Ozzdi and Ballet Red.

17:15 - AL MAYSAN (1) made plenty of appeal on pedigree on his debut at Chelmsford at the start of the month and made a winning start to his career, defying greenness and looking to have a lot more to offer. That is by far the best form in this race and it is difficult to see him not following up here.

17:45 - FIRST RESPONSE (3) landed his second victory over this course and distance with a strong performance earlier his month, beating home a rival with an equally impressive course record. He is a fairly consistent sort and, up just 3 lb for that victory, is expected to go well again here.

18:15 - SLINGSHOT (4) showed steady progress in her first two starts and, though failing to build on that at this venue a couple of months back, she did show much better form when third at Southwell on her handicap debut last month. This doesn't look too competitive an event and she may have been found a good opportunity to get off the mark, with previous course-and-distance winner Castlehill Retreat looking the main danger.

18:45 - DANCING RAVE (1) proved better than ever when resuming winning ways at Lingfield recently, grabbing the race by the scruff of the neck off the home turn. She was always holding on, despite being closed down near the finish, and a 5 lb rise may not be enough to stop her going in again.

19:15 - Consistency isn't POPPY MAY's (8) strong point, but she returned to form back on tapeta after just four days off when third in a Wolverhampton seller earlier this month. She was a little unlucky in defeat that day after getting stuck down the inside, and from a much more ideal draw here, she rates a leading player. Blackcurrent almost got off the mark at Wolverhampton last week and looks the main danger if arriving here in similar form.