Tony McFadden provides an overview of the key things to note on Tuesday.
Three points of interest
Dr Rio's latest effort has worked out well
Timeform's reporter noted that Dr Rio 'looked to be coming to the boil' when a close-up fourth at Beverley last time, and that now looks like a better piece of form than it did on the day as the first three home all won next time out.
That effort came over an extended mile, but the step up to a mile and a half (15:15) at Beverley on Tuesday shouldn't inconvenience Dr Rio as he's a versatile sort with a course-and-distance win to his name.
Indeed, all four of Dr Rio's wins in Britain have come at Beverley and he looks well weighted to give another good account of himself.
He's able to run off the same mark as last time, which is 1 lb lower than the mark he last defied here in September, and he heads Timeform's weight-adjusted ratings by 2 lb.
Charlie Johnston's form a positive for Special Ghaiyyath
Charlie Johnston may not have got on the scoresheet at Royal Ascot, but it was certainly a successful week for the trainer who had 11 winners elsewhere between Monday and Sunday.
That tally of 11 was comfortably the highest for any trainer last week - Aidan O'Brien was next with seven - and they came at an impressive strike rate of 30.6%.
The flying form of the yard - underlined by a Timeform run-to-form percentage of 75% last week - is a boost to the chances of Special Ghaiyyath who sets the clear standard in the maiden (16:15) over the extended mile at Beverley.
Special Ghaiyyath is starting to look exposed after seven starts, but he's finished in the frame on all four outings this year and heads Timeform's weight-adjusted ratings by 12 lb, so he has leading claims of providing his in-form yard with another winner.
Unexposed Roadshow a likely improver for Nicholls
West-Country trainer Paul Nicholls has unsurprisingly been the dominant force at Newton Abbot, and he has sent out 54 winners at the course since the start of the 2020/2021 jumps season.
That tally is 22 more than his closest pursuer, Fergal O'Brien, and Nicholls' strike rate of 29.4% is the highest of any trainer with at least 50 runners at the course in that timeframe.
Nicholls has four runners at Newton Abbot on Tuesday, starting with Roadshow who is an interesting contender in the opening handicap hurdle (17:57) for amateur riders.
Roadshow shaped like a non-stayer when a distant third over 19 furlongs at Warwick last month so he should benefit from dropping back in trip to shy of 17 furlongs at Newton Abbot.
He had offered encouragement on a couple of occasions before his run at Warwick, including when runner-up over this course and distance on his penultimate start, and it would be little surprise to see him do better now starting out in handicaps.
His fairly useful Flat form for Andre Fabre in France suggests he's got more ability than a BHA hurdles mark of 102, and he still has the Timeform 'small p' to show that better is expected in this sphere. As the only four-year-old in the line-up, he is in receipt of a generous weight-for-age allowance and has fewer miles on the clock than most of his older rivals.
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