Singer can call the tune

● Gosden colt can win again despite rise in the weights

It is awfully difficult to escape the charms of Master Singer in the big race of the day at Newcastle.

John Gosden’s colt ripped up few trees on the turf this year, but all-weather racing is clearly more of his bag from what he has so far achieved in a seven-race career.

Master Singer broke his maiden over a mile and a quarter at this track in May, when he won by a ridiculous 16 lengths.

His other success, over a mile and a half at Wolverhampton last month, was nowhere near as visually striking – yet it was probably just as good in the grand scheme of things.

The three-year-old son of Giant’s Causeway showed plenty of willingness to succeed when he defeated Goldmember by a length it what was a very competitive handicap. This Betway-sponsored handicap over the same trip is probably even a little tougher, but a 5lb rise in the weights is hardly a catastrophe for a horse who should make hay this winter.

Wincanton has staged better meetings, but it could pay to side with Springtown Lake in a two-and-a-half-mile handicap hurdle.

Trained by Philip Hobbs, this former point-to-pointer has not done a great deal wrong since thoughts turned to hurdling.

Indeed, there was much to admire about the tenacious manner in which he drew nearly three lengths clear in a maiden hurdle at Worcester last month.

He had previously finished second in a most informative race on his hurdling debut at Ascot, so the form is there for all to see – even at this early stage of his career.

Springtown Lake can be a little keen, it would seem, but he clearly has a powerful engine and really ought to be good enough to win a race like this.