Tony McFadden provides an overview of the key things to note on Thursday.
Jo Coko catches the eye on first start for in-form stable
Nicky Richards has had ten winners from 40 runners, at a 25% strike rate, since the start of November, but even more impressive is his percentage rivals beaten figure of 70.2% which is the highest among trainers who have had at least 30 runners in British jumps races in that time.
Richards, who has Timeform's Hot Trainer Flag to underline his yard's good form, has four runners at Newcastle on Thursday, including Jo Coko who makes his first start for the stable in the novice handicap chase (14:15).
Jo Coko was disappointing on his final start for James Ewart when beaten a distant fourth in a maiden hurdle at Newcastle in February, but he had shown promise to finish placed on his two previous outings over hurdles at Haydock and Ayr.
It's also worth noting that he had fetched £105,000 after winning his only start in an Irish point, so he looks interesting on his handicap and chasing debut for his new yard, with the stable switch generating Timeform's Trainer Uplift Flag.
Fallon booking a boost for Kuiama
Kuiama has been partnered by 7lb apprentice Lillie Dingle on all three starts in handicap company and since joining Dylan Cunha, and she provided her inexperienced rider with her first victory when successful at Wolverhampton on her penultimate outing.
Kuiama wasn't at the same level when only third back at Wolverhampton last time, but she shaped as if still in good form and can be excused the run having set too strong a pace.
She'll need to be ridden with greater restraint up in trip in the six-furlong handicap (17:30) at Chelmsford but will have plenty of assistance in the saddle with Cieren Fallon taking over - a booking that has generated Timeform's Jockey Uplift Flag.
Fallon is enjoying comfortably a career-best season having registered a century of winners for the first time. He brought up that landmark in October and has since extended his tally to 126, a figure exceeded by only five riders in Britain this year.
Fallon's winners have come at a strike rate of 18.9% and backing each of his mounts would have returned a profit of £50.71 to £1 level stakes. He has a good chance of notching another winner with Kuiama, who is only 2 lb above her winning mark and narrowly heads Timeform's weight-adjusted ratings.
Cosmo Renfro can build on promising start for Cromwell
Gavin Cromwell endured a miserable month in November, remarkably sending out only one jumps winner from 119 runners, but there have been more encouraging signs for the yard of late and he's already had three winners in December.
The most recent of those winners was Dgalwaygallivantor in a handicap hurdle at Cork under promising 7lb conditional Eoin Staples. That was the sixth time this season that Staples and Cromwell have combined to win a handicap and those winners have come at a creditable strike rate of 18.2%, while backing each runner would have returned a profit of £32.25 to £1 level stakes.
Staples and Cromwell team up again in the penultimate handicap hurdle (14:50) at Punchestown on Thursday with Cosmo Renfro, a recent recruit from the Shane Nolan stable. Cosmo Renfro finished runner-up at Limerick last month on his first start for Cromwell and showed plenty to work with, despite starting off at a time when the yard's runners were struggling.
He was ultimately beaten 20 lengths but showed up well for a long way and earned the Horse In Focus Flag from Timeform's reporter to mark him out as one likely to be of firm interest next time. He's 4lb below the mark he defied at Limerick in the spring of 2024 and also has Staples taking off 7lb on this occasion, so he looks like a big player for his powerful stable that should soon be firing on all cylinders.
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