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Timeform Eyecatcher: Sunday
COME ON THE LADS
Fourth, 2m1f maiden hurdle, Punchestown, Sunday 12 January
Come On The Lads made an inauspicious start over hurdles as he unseated his rider at the first at Gowran Park and was then pulled up at Limerick a couple of weeks later. However, he then showed some fairly useful form on the Flat, managing to win a Dundalk handicap, and he offered much more encouragement when tried again over hurdles at Leopardstown's Christmas Festival.
Come On The Flat was only ninth in a big-field maiden at Leopardstown but he caught the eye, or at least as much as one could in the thick fog, by making good late headway and passing plenty of rivals.
He confirmed that positive impression when fourth at Punchestown, again shaping better than the bare result given the rapid headway he made from four out, and he looks one to note in handicap hurdles.
Bantz remains a maiden and continues to edge down the weights but he shaped well here and looks up to winning races at this sort of level.
Bantz was still going well a couple of furlongs out but found himself short of room and unable to fully open up until switched inside the final furlong.
He ran on well to take third close home and is one to look out for on the back of this encouraging effort, particularly with Gemma Tutty's horses in such good nick at present.
No runner on Friday earned Timeform's Horse In Focus Flag, but Gustav Graves gave a good account of himself to finish runner-up and he should remain competitive.
Gustav Graves had snapped a long losing run and taken advantage of a drop in the weights at Wolverhampton four days earlier and he ran at least as well in defeat here.
He was ridden patiently but made good headway inside the final couple of furlongs and threw down a challenge without managing to get on terms with the thriving winner who scored by half a length. He did well to split some more prominently-ridden rivals in a race run at an ordinary gallop for a sprint.
Brosay made a successful stable debut for Paul Attwater (previously with Diego Dias) at Southwell a couple of weeks ago and he looked unlucky not to follow up at Lingfield.
Brosay ended up further back than ideal after he was slightly hampered leaving the stalls and he had plenty of ground to make up in the straight, but he kept on strongly and missed out by only a head, despite being bumped close home.
He has made a positive start for this yard, has shown his effectiveness over five and six furlongs and remains one to keep on side.
This was an open contest, most coming into it in at least reasonable form, but it was an infrequent winner who came out on top, able to capitalise on a clearer passage than the runner-up Sandret.
Sandret is a regular at Newcastle, and also a multiple winner at the track, resuming winning ways over the same course and distance two starts back.
He shaped just as well in defeat on this occasion, too, coming from a similar position as the winner but not getting anything like as clear passage, and flying home once in the clear. He seems sure to get his head back in front in the coming weeks from what will still be a fair mark.
Timeform Eyecatcher: Tuesday
MISS CALCULATION
Third, 6f classified stakes, Wolverhampton, Tuesday 7 January
Miss Calculation had ended her 2024 campaign out of sorts for Stella Barclay but made a very eye-catching return to action on her first start since September in this classified stakes.
Dropped out from her wide draw and taking a strong hold, Miss Calculation still had plenty to do early in the straight and didn’t get a clear run approaching the final furlong but once switched ran on late to finish a length and a half third to Back Tomorrow.
Miss Calculation won a handicap over seven furlongs at Carlisle last season and will benefit from the return to that trip, looking one to keep an eye on at a lowly level.
Lequinto had shaped well from a tumbling mark when a running-on third at Lingfield on New Year's Eve and he produced an even better effort when runner-up at Wolverhampton on Monday, leaving the impression that he's in good enough form to capitalise on his fall in the weights.
Lequinto was beaten only a length at Wolverhampton and would have finished closer had he not been short of room in the straight and conceded first run.
He ran on well and will be seen to better effect when granted a stronger gallop to chase, so he is one to note having competed on Monday off a mark 15 lb lower than the BHA rating he defied in June 2023.
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