Houndhill

The horse suffered a setback earlier in the year when he chipped a bone in his leg during his debut run at Redcar in May, a race he managed to finish third in. That forced him off the track for several months while he recovered, but trainer Nigel Tinkler's yard, based in North Yorkshire and one of the busier operations in the region with 37 winners this season, has clearly brought him back carefully. Over his last six races, Houndhill has won twice and placed three times — a genuinely solid run that shows he is a horse in the right frame of mind and capable of competing regularly.

The one slight concern is that he has not won any of his four starts in top-class company, though his overall record at ordinary level races — winning roughly 1 in every 5 races — is respectable for a young horse still learning the game. Rowan Scott, his regular rider, has one win aboard him from five mounts together. Houndhill may never be a star, but the Newcastle form and his recent winning streak suggest he will continue to give his the yard value races to target, particularly back on the track where he has proven he knows how to win.