AUTUMN RETURN (4.20, nap) looks ready to blossom in the quinnbet.com Mares’s Handicap Hurdle at Newcastle on Tuesday.
The six-year-old, trained by Ruth Jefferson, landed a bumper at Ayr in the spring and impressed when following up on his Market Rasen hurdle debut in September.
After a decent fourth at Wetherby, he found a Listed novice hurdle too hot for him at Newbury but, back to Class 4 last time at Catterick, the son of Fame And Glory was comfortably too good for his rivals, running out an easy four-length winner over Bents Hollow.
His mark for this handicap bow — just 3lb higher than at Catterick — looks reasonable, and he can follow up.
At Southwell, the Michael Dods-trained IRISH FLAME (5.30, nb) can take the Spreadex Sports Best Premier League Odds Novice Stakes over a mile.
On his track debut for Clive Cox, he was only fifth at Windsor.
But, last time out, he showed improvement after switching stables to Dods (above) when easily landing a novice event, also over a mile, at Newcastle.
Prominent throughout, he stormed away in the final furlong to win by five and a half lengths from Central Hall.
TUESDAY’S SELECTIONS
FFOS LAS
1.05 ROGER RAREBIT
1.40 GEORGI GIRL
2.15 BOLINTLEA
2.50 MOUNT TEMPEST
3.25 HENSCHKE
4.00 SHE’S A SAINT
4.35 THREE CLIFFS BAY
LINGFIELD
1.15 GOSHEN
1.50 TEDDY BLUE
2.25 SPRING NOTE
3.00 NEW AGE DAWNING
3.35 KENNY GEORGE
4.10 LEARNTALOT
NEWCASTLE
12.50 SLUGGER
1.25 TURNAWAY
2.00 COLONEL HARRY
2.35 CASTLE RUSHEN
3.10 FAME AND CONCRETE
3.45 COOLMOYNE
4.20 AUTUMN RETURN (NAP)
SOUTHWELL
5.00 VELMA
5.30 IRISH FLAME (NB)
6.00 ALPHA CAPTURE
6.30 JUSTCALLMEPETE
7.00 ALL DUNN
7.30 CHUCK TAYLOR
8.00 STROXX
8.30 DUBAI JEANIUS
NEWSBOY’S DOUBLE: AUTUMN RETURN and IRISH FLAME
