ROTHERWICK can poke his head in front at Newmarket for the first time in what feels like an eternity.

The Paul Cole-trained four-year-old has continually finished in the frame during a busy career, but he has not won a race for nearly two years.

Cole will be desperate to do something about that ahead of the NGK Spark Plugs Handicap over a mile and a quarter.

The signs look promising, too, as Rotherwick has rarely let the side down of late, with his recent second at Windsor on ground that was probably too soft of particular interest.

Inniscastle Lad had his measure that day, but the selection only went down by three-quarters of a length and finished off his race with intent.

A convincing winner over nine furlongs at Newmarket off just a 2lb lower mark is also a pleasing statistic, while the fact champion jockey Jim Crowley is on board and can only be seen as a good thing.

The feature race on the card, the Irish Stallion Farms "Bosra Sham" EBF Fillies' Stakes, could go to Lagenda.

Andrew Balding's (pictured) youngster is the highest-rated horse in the field, but that is not without good reason as she finished runner-up in the Mill Reef at Newbury.

Lagenda then impressed at York last month when she got to within a length and a quarter of Sir Dancealot, who ended up running in the Racing Post Trophy, in the Rockingham.

She sets the standard.

Eternitys Gate should be within striking distance of winning the Arrange A Pinnacle Stable Visit At Wynyard Handicap at Newcastle.

Ivan Furtado's sprinter deserves credit for the way he kept up the good fight to finish second over this course and distance last Saturday, when Royal Mezyan proved a stubborn foe.

He is clearly coming to hand and again runs on the same all-weather mark off which he won at Wolverhampton a few years ago.

Cliffs Of Dover can peak in the Weatherbys Stallion Book Wensleydale Juvenile Hurdle at Wetherby.

Champion trainer Paul Nicholls has been bowled over by this one's progress since thoughts turned to hurdling, with his cool victory at Cheltenham a third win in October.

The three-year-old, a son of Canford Cliffs, clearly enjoys his racing well and can take the next step along the ladder in this Listed affair over two miles.

With conditions just about ideal, Cliffs Of Dover ought to take some stopping if he comes anywhere near to replicating his Cheltenham form.

Abricot De L'Oasis is respected in the other Listed race on the card, the bet365 Handicap Chase over two miles and three furlongs.

Dan Skelton's six-year-old has been absent for a long time, but he posted winning form on his comeback at Aintree last October so that might not be too big a deal.

Abricot De L'Oasis is more potential than anything else at this stage of the game, but it was hard not to have been impressed by the breezy manner in which he dispatched four admittedly moderate rivals over hurdles at Sedgefield in April.

Winner of three of his five starts over fences, there is a good chance he will thrive now he reverts to chasing in a race in which he gets a lot of weight from most of the field.

Keep tabs on La BagueAu Roi in the Pektron Electronics For Vehicles Mares' Maiden Hurdle at Uttoxeter.

Warren Greatrex's youngster looked classy in winning a Huntingdon Listed bumper and was not disgraced up in class at Aintree.

It is early days but the Cheltenham Festival mares' race will be on her agenda if all goes well.

SELECTIONS:

NEWCASTLE: 4.40 Nonchalant, 5.10 Tectonic, 5.45 Beaconsfield, 6.15 Crushed, 6.45 Eternitys Gate, 7.15 Westward Ho, 7.45 Deansgate, 8.15 Meandmyshadow.

NEWMARKET: 1.20 Founding Father, 1.50 Loujain, 2.25 ROTHERWICK (NAP), 3.00 Perfect Angel, 3.35 Lagenda, 4.10 Graceland, 4.45 Trevisani, 5.15 Tomahawk Kid.

UTTOXETER: 2.00 La Bague Au Roi, 2.35 Cash Again, 3.10 Wistari Rocks, 3.45 Top Notch, 4.20 Muckle Roe, 4.50 Aunty Ann.

WETHERBY: 2.10 Clondaw Cracker, 2.45 Milrow, 3.20 Abricot De L'Oasis, 3.55 Cliffs Of Dover, 4.30 Bertalus, 5.00 Thyne For Gold.

DOUBLE: Rotherwick and Lagenda.