4:10 Newbury Tips

Think latest Sandown run can be forgiven as track doesn't suit everyone. Previously in good form this year, and with conditions to suit here, can go close.

Made debut over fences in January and won its first two starts. Seventh of 11 last time out, but was upped in distance and that was a Grade 3 race. Dropped in class and back to a favored distance, it can bounce back with a win.

Been showing slow but steady improvement since returning to action following a seven-month break and put up his best effort this season at Sandown three starts ago. That saw him finish 2nd over two miles, but mistakes impacted his performance and he was an early faller over the same C&D on his next outing. He still has issues with his jumping, but that didn’t stop him finishing a close 2nd over this C&D last time. The ability to win over fences is there, and if he cuts the mistakes out he goes close.

Palacio is capable of winning here at Newbury. He unseated last time when making progress from the rear over further, but he is fast enough to win over two miles.

In a race where every runner has questions to answer and none have particularly compelling cases to recommend them, I'm going to take a chance on the veteran Xcitations. Over the years he has shown a fair level of form and visited the winners' enclosure eight times. He looked on the way back at Leicester two runs back, but then was steered onto the wrong course last time. His redoubtable trainer, Pam Sly, is enjoying a good spell at the moment, and this old boy might just have one last hurrah in him.