Heaven’s Guest looks to rekindle past glories at Newcastle
– Heaven's Guest is a fair way short of his best form nowadays but should be good enough today for the sunbets.co.uk Handicap at Newcastle.
Richard Fahey's charge was rated as high as 108 in his prime, winning a Listed event as well as the International Handicap at Ascot and finishing fifth in the Group 2 Hungerford Stakes.
However, he is now eightyears-old and time appears to be catching up with him, with his rating having slipped down to 85 at Newcastle last time before he took full advantage.
While that win was not in as competitive a race as this, he ended a barren spell that stretched back to 2015 in style and his confidence should have got a nice boost from that.
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The handicapper has put him up 1kg for that win but he is still on one of his lowest marks and really should not be ruled out of a quick double.
In contrast, Corinthia Knight has been in fine form this winter and now sits on a mark of 105, which puts him ahead of his rivals in the 32Red Casino Conditions Stakes.
After letting down his supporters on his penultimate start, Corinthia Knight got back on track in some style, overcoming trouble in running to employ a swift change of gear and win by 1.25 lengths in another fast track qualifier at Kempton.
With his place on Good Friday's Finals Day already in the bag, Corinthia Knight can continue his prep with another win here.
Watersmeet is also due to feature at the Easter showpiece meeting after winning a fast track qualifier for the stayers' division last month.
A neck winner on that occasion, he has since struck gold again in a rather uncompetitive conditions race at Lingfield at the start of the month.
Mark Johnston turns him out again in the 32Red Conditions Stakes at Kempton and given he has upwards of 2kg in hand on each of his rivals, Watersmeet should really be winning again.
Some familiar names will be on show at Doncaster and Fox Appeal is the pick in the Polypipe Veterans' Handicap Chase.
This 11-year-old has done Emma Lavelle proud during his career and the fact he finished second in a couple of these events already this term at least shows the fire still burns brightly.
He was not without his supporters when contesting the 2017 Veterans' Series final at Sandown last month but never looked like he was enjoying himself on deep Newcastle (UK) Wednesday Race 1: 16:05 ground and eventually crashed out at the 12th obstacle.
Fox Appeal has reserved his better efforts for better ground, so back on good conditions and off his lowest mark for a fair while, holds plenty of appeal.
Pacha Du Polder is another runner who can get his season off to a flyer in the 1st Security Solutions Open Hunters' Chase. –