2:25 Newbury Tips

Improved run at Newmarket when down to this trip. Unexposed over this distance and should have more to come with Tom Marquand on board.

Bownder can go well for the Jonathan Portman yard with young Oliver Tubbs on board, claiming 5lb. He ran below form last time in a four-runner race, but now back in distance, he could bounce back to the form he showed the race before when winning over this trip.

Lady Of The Isles is a 3-year-old gelding trained by Heather Main. He is improving with each run; 36-58-63. Rossa Ryan retains the ride now handicapping. Interesting, particularly as Rossa Ryan is 5/23 wins for Heather Main, a trainer who has been amongst the winners of late: Iconic Times 13-2 and Believe You Me 8-1. She has also picked up 12 winners at Newbury, showing a LSP of £233.50. Her Lady Of The Isles is a third foal related to Island Bandit (6 wins, winning twice at Newbury at 125-1 and over CD at 3-1) and Brave Call (1 win) 88-86, both trained by Heather Main. Chance!

Darn Hot Mystery was placed in all 3 starts as a two-year-old but disappointed on seasonal debut at Nottingham in May when running as though badly needing the run when finishing last. She dropped 2 lbs here and could look a decent each-way bet if she can return to last season's form.

1 lb below their last winning mark and is a course specialist. Has to find something at this distance but is open to improvement here and is a nice price.

Thiscouldbefun got her first win back in April but took on weight for that and has had two down-the-pack runs since. She has dropped in weight and is now just 1 lb above that last winning mark and gets Billy Loughnane this time, so I would expect more EW.

Still a maiden after 6 career starts but ran well on first two starts this year both times over 7f at Kempton when not beaten far on both occasions in fast run races. Was well beaten last time out when stepped up in trip to 1m2f at Goodwood last month though was well in contention until not finding any extra the final furlong. The drop back to 1 mile here looks ideal and should run well.

I'm happy to take the view that it was the soft ground which was to blame for a poor run from the horse last time out on debut for a new stable. There's enough evidence on a maiden run and a novice run which suggests she's way too big here. Her 2nd in a novice race has mid-70 types horses around her in 1st, 3rd, and 4th, so the fact she races off 67 here suggests she could be competitive. It was a similar story with the third place in a maiden too, so perhaps she shouldn't be overlooked on that evidence.