1:35 Newbury Tips

Eddie My Eagle showed much improved form last time when scoring in a novice at Plumpton. He is clearly suited by waiting tactics, with a decent pace likely from a few keen runners here. He scored in a decent time last time, and with conditions to suit, he looks the one to be on.

Queenie St Clair hacked up six days ago at Fontwell and should be able to follow up with a seven-pound penalty here at Newbury.

A novice handicap hurdle which can go the way of handicap hurdle debutante Treasure Planet, who gets in off a mark of 116 and 10st 9lb with the capable Jay Tidball riding. He won his maiden hurdle at Ludlow by 18l from the Ben Pauling-trained Mojito Des Mottes, who posted an RPR of 97, and the handicapper has taken no chances with that horse, setting him an opening mark of 120. Yet Treasure Planet is only rated 116 and 113 with conditionals' claim. Treasure Planet flopped on his next start in a listed novice hurdle at Aintree, but the soft ground may have been his undoing and he also took a fierce hold. Back on better ground today, he could literally be thrown in at the weights, in first-time blinkers to settle his exuberance. Treasure Planet is my short-priced banker of the day and should go off a lot shorter than the current price.

Smoke Trail showed high potential when winning a Kelso maiden hurdle in October, jumping fluently and leading from the start. Today's race is a Class 4, which is much more manageable than the Class 2 events he struggled in at Musselburgh and Haydock earlier this season. As the sole runner on the card for a top Scottish yard, he could outrun his odds if allowed to dictate a steady pace from the front. Smoke Trail carries the top weight of 12st 0lb, though the jockey's 10 lb claim helps offset this burden. The going is good to soft (soft in places), which should suit him well, as his best hurdles form and Irish point-to-point win both came on similar ground.