BRIAN The Snail might not be destined to be running in Classics with that sort of name but showed a decent level of ability when winning on debut and can follow up at Catterick.

Owned and trained by Richard Fahey (pictured), the son of Zebedee – hence the name as both were characters in children's TV Show The Magic Roundabout – was sent off the 2-1 favourite at Pontefract.

He showed a really likeable attitude to fight off Father McKenzie and win by a length, doing all his best work close home.

The winner carried a rating of 75 into the contest so set a decent level of form and Brian The Snail can surely only improve for that experience.

The highest-rated of his rivals in the catterickbridge.co.uk Novice Stakes is Secret Potion on 77 so he does not have a mountain to climb.

Iain Jardine is a trainer making a real name for himself through the exploits of Shrewd and Nakeeta and he looks likely to be a fixture for years to come.

He runs Fingal's Cave in the Dine And View At Catterick Races Handicap and on his first start for the yard he looks interesting.

Formerly with Mick Channon, he is on a career-high mark of 84 but there is just a chance Jardine could illicit some improvement.

Off the track for 103 days he arrives fresh against some opponents who have been on the go all season.

Hugo Palmer is keen to get a win on the board with Mazyoun and in the absence of Frankie Dettori at Newcaslte Josephine Gordon has been entrusted with the ride in the Electron Services NE Ltd Median Auction Maiden Stakes.

Owned by Al Shaqab the youngster has shown a smart level of form in four races but without managing to break his duck.

There has been no disgrace in his last two defeats, though, as he made good late ground to finish second to Mubtasim in a £300,000 sales race at Doncaster and he was also placed behind Wick Powell in Redcar's Two-Year-Old Trophy.

While he faces a couple of interesting newcomers - on paper at least - they will have to run to a very high level and Mazyoun will need to have regressed for him to fail to open his account.

The Keith Dalgleish-trained Lomu must have had a problem as he has not been seen since maintaining his unbeaten record at Hamilton in May.

In that time he has missed several targets that had been mooted for him so it is difficult to know what to expect from him after 165 days off in the Attheraces Nursery Handicap.

The Dandy Man colt looked pretty smart and a mark of 85 could seriously underestimate him, but whether he returns in the same sort of form he displayed in the first half of the season is open to debate. It is worth chancing he does.

Colin Tizzard takes the wraps off Thistlecrack in the Aspen Waite Complete Business Growth Service Novices' Chase at Chepstow.

There are some very exciting horses embarking on new careers this season but there is no doubt the most tantalising of the lot is this one.

He ended the season before last as a surprising 25-1 winner of a Grade One at Aintree as a novice, rated 135.

Touched off at the Punchestown Festival afterwards, he went the whole of last season unbeaten, strolling to victory at Cheltenham and Aintree.

If all goes to plan, connections are eyeing the Gold Cup.

SELECTIONS:

BANGOR: 2.10 Keep In Line, 2.40 Value At Risk, 3.15 Captain McGinley, 3.45 Blake Dean, 4.15 River Of Intrigue, 4.45 Le Breuil.

CATTERICK: 1.20 BRIAN THE SNAIL (NAP), 1.50 Emerald Loch, 2.20 Rose Eclair, 2.55 La Fritillaire, 3.25 Fingal's Cave, 4.00 Bahama Moon, 4.30 Coolcalmcollected, 5.05 Lydiate Lady

CHEPSTOW: 1.30 Copain De Classe, 2.00 Boa Island, 2.30 Filatore, 3.05 Bold Conquest, 3.35 Thistlecrack, 4.05 Call To Order, 4.35 Looksnowtlikebrian, 5.10 Culm Counsellor.

NEWCASTLE: 5.00 Cape Dignity, 5.30 Rashford's Double, 6.00 Mazyoun, 6.30 Lomu, 7.00 Bryght Boy, 7.30 Rioja Day, 8.00 Lovin' Spoonful, 8.30 Deben.

DOUBLE: Brian The Snail and Mazyoun.