3:10 Newbury Tips

Clearly progressing well at the end of last season and found only one too good in the Lincoln last month when beaten by a nose. Should remain competitive from just three pounds higher.

The 4yo has 3 wins from 11. He improved again in the second half of last year, going close in a high-quality, 20-runner £103K handicap on his final start. He has the benefit of a return run and was not beaten far in the £77K Lincoln Handicap last month, coming from a little too far back. He now has Oisin Murphy taking over in the saddle for the £36K handicap.

Decent draw in stall 4 and runs for a stable that has won this before. The excellent William Buick rides. Excellent win at York last year and just 4 lb higher now. Should be thereabouts.

STEM does appear remarkably well handicapped and, hopefully, he can bloom in this handicap. I don't rush to back horses that have been gelded too late, and after just five runs that operation may have been done in time for this now ex-colt. The form and the maths case look simple. Last September the selection, then a 3-y-o, was just touched off in a similar race here. That is the form. The maths are that the selection would need to run to a rating of 93 today to win this. The aforementioned run earned him an RPR of 100. That suggests Richard Hannon's contender has a lot in hand.

Can run well fresh and has a win and a short-head second-placed effort here to his name. A DNF is only 1 lb higher than his last win.

Has won on four occasions, including this race last year. Has finished 2nd in two of three races since. Not seen since December, but goes well when fresh and holds an each-way chance.

More in hope than expectation, but drawn close to Jimmy Speaking, who looks a some pace angle could drag this horse into early contention. He’s got a feather weight courtesy of Dawes’ claim. If he can get out in terms of position, he can be doing his best work late at a more suitable trip for him. He doesn’t look too badly handicapped back to his winning mark, and adding that 5 lb claim he should be ahead of it. It might not be as much as some of these, but with trouble in running likely in this big-field scenario, I’d hope a nice prominent spot will at least give you a run for your money. Similarly, he may well just be outclassed by something a bit more unexposed, but the market seems to have found all of them.