Graeme Rodway's play of the day at Newcastle

Brunch
4.10 Newcastle
1pt win

There are plenty of competitive races to get our teeth stuck into and the best race of the day is the mile handicap at Newcastle, which has attracted a strong field.

All eyes will be on the lightly raced Elnajmm, who has been gelded since winning a Lingfield maiden last August and represents William Haggas. There is a chance the son of Sea The Stars will be a class apart, but he is forecast to be short odds and his stable hasn’t been flying.

Take him on with Brunch, who might be without a win for almost three years but has now dropped to his lowest rating since the summer of 2020 and almost cashed in on his last start.

Brunch was racing off this mark of 94 and got caught on the inside at a crucial stage in that Nottingham handicap. He was short of room several times inside the final two furlongs and flew home when getting clear to finish a length and a quarter behind Aerion Power in fourth.

Brunch would have given the winner a serious fright with more luck in running and the form was franked when the runner-up, Great Blasket, won a similar race at Nottingham next time.

The selection loves Newcastle, having won twice at the track, and his only defeat came in this race last year when he was beaten just a length and a quarter into sixth behind Lattam. Brunch is 9lb lower now and 12lb better off with Lattam, so is weighted to reverse the places.