12.15pm Newbury

Gran Luna

Her hurdles wins have come on decent going but she won her bumper here on soft ground, so hopefully she will handle conditions okay. She didn’t run up to her best at Taunton earlier in the month but that was her first run since April and she has been dropped 2lb for it. She likes it around here and she is on a fair mark if back to her best.

12.50pm Newbury

Surfman

He is a fascinating contender. He was clearly a very smart and lightly-raced middle-distance performer on the Flat a couple of years back, finishing third in a Dante before taking his chance in a French Derby, so we have a horse on our hands if we can harness that ability. He has obviously been off the track a long time but we like what we have seen of him, and I think he will handle the ground.

2.00pm Newbury

Monte Cristo

He didn’t run badly in a decent Aintree handicap on his last start and has been dropped 3lb for it. He is a course winner who is proven in the ground, so there are reasons to be hopeful on his first run since April. He was very good when he won at Kempton on Boxing Day last year.

2.35pm Newbury

Crypto

He looks a decent ride to pick up. He shaped quite well when third on his return at Bangor and wouldn’t mind any more rain judged on his previous form, but the question mark for him is stamina, as this is the furthest he has raced over by a long way. If he stays, and there is a 3m1f winner among his half-brothers I see, then he has a decent enough chance.

3.35pm Newbury

Patroclus

He is a little out of the handicap here but he will like the ground, he will stay the trip, and we are likely to see a better horse over fences, as he looks the part physically. So hopefully he can give a good account on his chasing debut, having finished second in his only point.