16:30 Newcastle – MIDNIGHT LION (2/1)

MIDNIGHT LION looks primed to resume winning ways here and might still be underestimated by the market despite his current price. Jim Goldie’s five-year-old arrives in excellent form, and while he’s stepping up in trip today, there’s every indication that this will suit his running style perfectly. His closing sectionals last time out suggest he was finishing with something left in the tank, hinting at further improvement over this slightly extended distance.

The Timeform ‘p’ symbol next to his rating signals potential for more, and when adjusted accordingly, he stands out even more clearly in this small field. With a consistent pace forecast and no obvious front-runners to dictate a slow tempo, MIDNIGHT LION should find this race scenario ideal to unleash his strong finishing kick.

ROYAL DEESIDE, while an interesting runner on stable debut for Patrick Morris, may need this outing to sharpen up, given his absence from the track. ZIVANIYA, despite some market support in recent runs, hasn’t quite managed to put it all together when it counts, and the race dynamics here don’t seem to favour him.

With Paul Mulrennan booked again—a jockey who knows how to time his runs to perfection—MIDNIGHT LION looks the one to beat, and there’s a strong case to be made that even at his current price, he offers a touch of value.