Newcastle Racing Tips: More to come from Captain Quint

NAP

Captain Quint - 12:30 Newcastle

Captain Quint is still totally unexposed and again looked a good prospect when making a winning chasing debut at Hexham earlier this month, his second win from just three starts under Rules. The most impressive aspect of that performance was the way he took the race by the scruff of the neck on the home turn, quickly asserting and always doing enough from there to win by a length and a half.

Trained by Rose Dobbin, who has her team in rude health (69% of horses running to form), Captain Quint still looks one step ahead of the handicapper from a BHA mark of 120, with the step up in trip promising to suit if the stamina in his pedigree is anything to go by.

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Lord Roco - 13:35 Newcastle

Lord Roco returned to action with a good second on his chasing debut at Ayr earlier this month, passing the post just a length and a half behind the winner and looking unlucky not to finish closer still having pecked on landing at the last (also short of room briefly close home).

That form is better than anything he achieved in five starts over hurdles last season and there should be plenty more to come as he gains in experience as a chaser. He's already shown enough to suggest he's capable of winning races from a BHA mark of 117 and today could well be the day with the return to three miles unlikely to be an issue.

EACH-WAY

Aye Right - 15:25 Newcastle

Aye Right showed a tremendous attitude to win this race 12 months ago, digging deep to get the verdict by a head having threatened to throw it away with a mistake at the last. He found life tougher in two subsequent starts in graded company last season, but his reappearance run at Kelso last month showed him to better effect, running his heart out as usual as he passed the post four and a half lengths behind the winner in second.

Genuine and reliable, Aye Right probably won't be good enough to beat L'Homme Presse - at least he shouldn't be if that horse is a genuine Cheltenham Gold Cup contender - but he stands out as a very solid each-way option and perhaps the most likely to take advantage if the favourite blows out.