Good stuff GEORGE B, been a few knocking on the door recently.

WD good start to the year.

Cheers ladycarla & toffee man, good luck today.

Candy Warhol, 1pt EW @ 13-2, 6.30 Southwell (4 PLACES)

It looked a particularly good effort from Candy Warhol on his latest start over 7f at Wolverhampton in a slightly higher grade than this evening's, when he was one of four to pull well clear, with his effort perhaps wanting marking up given he probably travelled a bit too strongly through the contest.

The main query is can he reproduce the form back up in trip to a mile, at a track he's yet to make the frame at in three previous attempts, but he can clearly go well here as the form of his 4th on his previous start over 7f at this venue has worked out well with the 2nd, 3rd and 6th having won since, and he has a run here over a mile last season when rated a stone higher, when he was only beaten just over 2L having been repeatedly short of room.

Candy Warhol is still a maiden after 13 starts and has a wide draw to overcome this evening, but his form suggests he should be up to winning a race at this level granted a reasonable trip.

Going great George Well done

Ahlain, 1pt EW @ 14-1, 3.20 Lingfield

Ahlain is up against it on adjusted ratings in this Listed contest but she's 2-2 on the AW and looks to have the size and scope to go on improving. She showed a good attitude to prevail at Kempton last month when returning from an 165-day break, and while it's a concern that given how she grinded it out up the longer straight there that this slightly easier test at the trip may not be ideal, she's handily drawn in five to take up a prominent position and hopefully she can at least hold on for a place under Rossa Ryan, who rides her for the first time.

Ocean Bliss, 1pt EW @ 33-1, 7.00 Newcastle

Ocean Bliss had left the impression when finishing a close-up 4th at Chelmsford over 7f last month that she could have done with a stronger gallop, and it didn't look an obvious move to drop back to 6f at this course on her latest start even allowing for the stiffer track, and so it proved, as after becoming outpaced over 2f out, she was noted finishing her race off on the front foot, albeit finishing only 7th of the 11 runners and beaten over 5L.

She steps back up to 7f this evening and a visor is applied, but the concern now is that this is a stronger race than the one she ran in last time, but a chance is taken each-way at the prices as she has been shaping as though there is a bigger effort in her.

Eva Rosie, 1pt EW @ 12-1, 8.30 Newcastle

Eva Rosie is a full-sister to her stablemate Spirit Of Bowland, who is a C/D winner at a lowly level, and she has shown enough in a couple of starts back from a break to suggest that there may also be a low grade race in her, notably so here last time when she stuck to her task well to finish runner-up. A line through the winner of that race, Ledger, could suggest she doesn't face an easy task against Retirement Beckons and Ana Emaraaty who has that rival behind when finishing first and second here last time, but the form of that race  may not be the most reliable given how steadily run it was (9 seconds outside standard).

Eva Rosie has been weak enough in the betting this morning, but she hasn't had many chances and the application of blinkers may also eke out a little improvement.

Fair to say, Cobs, a frustrating day.

Ahlain probably ran a PB under a forward ride on this marked step up in class but couldn't quite hold on for a place and dropped to 4th in the closing stages.

Like last time, Ocean Bliss was outpaced before catching the eye with her finishing effort, which was only good enough for 4th place on this occasion. She would appear to be in need of a stiffer test.

Eva Rosie pushed the winner all the way to the line as the pair pulled clear but couldn't get past.

2024 Running P/L: +40 pts

UL with Eva Rosie George. I don't follow racing at Dundalk, but best of luck today

Cheers cobs and lead on. Sadly, not one of my better ones this evening.

Snag It soon overcame a tricky draw and got a nice position just in behind the pace, if a little keen, but his response up the straight was disappointing and could finish only 6th of the 14 runners.

2024 Running P/L: +38 pts

GL George, don't know this horse v. well but v. good times for the last Kemp run and the Chelms run 3 back so looks interesting. Baldomero has an incredible 7 out of the 8 best times I have for these in the last 18 months, but no doubt he will find a way to come 2nd!

Love Lies, 1pt win @ 10-1, 6.30 Southwell
Quandary, 1pt win @ 7-1, 6.30 Southwell

A number of firms are offering three places on this 7-runner fillies' handicap, but I'm just going to do a split-stakes win on a couple against the field.

I'm going to take a chance on the fitness of Love Lies, who impressed when winning a maiden in a fast time at Ayr (6f, good) last season, albeit probably assisted by a moderate tailwind. The second won a handicap subsequently off a rating of 65, and while the odds-on favourite who was well held back in third has failed to win but run well in two starts since, she has an official rating of 76, which is what Love Lies runs off here.

Love Lies readily defied a 7lb penalty when winning a Newcastle novice (6f) last September from one who hasn't run since, and although she disappointed on her handicap debut when last seen at Hamilton later that month, it's possible the easier ground didn't suit as she travelled up smoothly to challenge but then didn't see her race out up the hill.

Hopefully fitness won't be an issue coming from this yard and interesting to see if she can resume her progress back on a quicker surface.

Quandary has run well in open company the last twice, on her penultimate start over C/D when never too far away before leading inside the final furlong, only to be caught close home; and last time when finishing 3rd over 5f at Newcastle having been short of room against the rail inside the final furlong.

This is a slight rise in grade, but she's back against her own sex and this daughter of Intello hasn't had many chances at 6f.

Hi Hoh Tonto, 1pt EW @ 20-1, 5.30 Wolverhampton

I'm going to have a speculative each-way pick on Hi Hoh Tonto, a 5YO who's only made it to the track on six occasions, the last twice following an absence of 777 days. He has an official rating of just 37, but he didn't look an entirely hopeless case on his latest start at Southwell (5f), in albeit what was just a 0-50 classified, where he disputed the lead or was close up until inside the last half-furlong before fading to finish fifth, in a race in which the winner came from off the pace.

As he's still an entire, it's not unreasonable to think that he's probably needed a couple of runs back to advance his fitness, so hopefully he can see his race out better this time, though admittedly this does look tougher back into handicap company. That said, he wasn't entirely disgraced on his previous start over C/D when finishing behind a couple of today's race-fit rivals, again racing prominently before fading inside the final furlong.

The cheekpieces he wore for the first time for that latest start are retained and he has a good draw to work from if the plan is to go forward again.

Nice place George wd gl ....

WD George nice place….

Nice one George

Sheila Lavery did win the 4.10 race, but not with the selection Grey Fable, rather their other runner Global Energy, for whom the very promising 7lb claimer Keithen Kennedy had been booked, and this one was the more fancied according to the market of the Lavery pair, and obliged at 10-1, while Grey Fable finished well down the field.

Soul Singer made for painful viewing, as it looked like he was coming with a winning challenge (traded 1.12) but unfortunately for me the leader Arlington (who I think had been a Hugh Taylor tip a few starts back) kept finding.

The market was cold early doors regarding the chance of Child Of Lir, as support came for Inexplicable, despite that one's relatively poor course record, but the market knew as the latter won while the selection (who didn't look the most enthusiastic off the bridle in the first-time blinkers) failed to even make the frame.

2024 Running P/L: +34.8 pts

Lovely job G

Wd George nice price gl ....

Thanks cobs, Virgin & PHS.

Unfortunately a disappointment soon followed with Tarbaan, who wasn't badly positioned in a race where the pace held up, but he carried his head at an angle when put under pressure to close and offered little.

2024 Running P/L: +46 pts

Cheers Mad'. Good luck today.

Ten O'clock, 1pt EW @ 40-1, 1.42 Lingfield

Ten O'clock ran poorly on her latest start at Chelmsford (5f) when finishing last of five, and this looks a bit stronger than the 5f handicaps she's been contesting on the AW, however, she has been leaving the impression that a step up to 6f may suit her better, having caught the eye finishing her race off on the front foot on her reappearance at Wolverhampton in January, and then twice here when perhaps not helped by challenging down the inside, including when finishing under a length behind Gogo Yubari on the latter occasion, whom she meets on a pound better terms here.

Presumably she'll be dropped in again and will need a pace to come off and possibly luck in running, but hopefully this step up in trip can show her in a better light.

Ocean Light, 1pt EW @ 9-1, 6.15 Newcastle

I'm going to give another chance to Ocean Bliss, who I selected last time out here over 7f and who has been shaping as though a stiffer stamina test may suit. It could be that she's just the type, regardless of trip, who gets outpaced before running on again when it's all over, but hopefully this step up to a mile can suit, along with the drop in grade and removal of headgear.

Billy McGarry, 1pt EW @ 16-1, 8.15 Newcastle

Billy McGarry returned to form from out of the blue two starts back over C/D in a 0-56 from out of the handicap, when he had a couple of today's rivals in behind and a subsequent winner finishing second.

He has to show that wasn't a flash in the pan as he's since disappointed back here in a classified stakes when finishing down the field and behind those same two rivals - Drakeholes (6lb better off) and Rum Runner (same terms), but he looks worth at least one more chance to confirm that previous form, even if it is a bit disconcerting that connections now reach for a tongue-tie. He's drawn low again here, so it remains to be seen if that proves to be a disadvantage, but he did overcome a low draw when winning here.

Ta Virgin, not one of my better days, but Ocean Bliss ran okay to finish 3rd considering she probably wasn't helped by the steady pace or being drawn in 1 and racing down the centre.

I was well wide off the mark with Ten O'clock, who was held up in a race where it paid to be handy, but even allowing for that she didn't offer much; back into a basement grade with a stronger pace to come off might show her in a better light.

Billy McGarry was another who was poorly drawn at Newcastle as it turned out, but even allowing for that he was disappointing, considering his position in the race relative to Coconut Bay, who kept on for 4th from a lowish draw.

2024 Running P/L: +42.8 pts