FORTUNE can favour ROYAL BRAVE in the Crabbie's Alcoholic Ginger Beer Handicap at Newcastle's evening meeting.

The Rebecca Bastiman-trained five-year-old has not won since June 2015, when in the care of William Muir, but he has been really consistent this year without getting the luck he might have deserved.

That was definitely the case over this course and distance in October, when he was drawn away from the thick of the action but fairly stormed home for third spot in a 14-runner, five-furlong handicap.

Bastiman must have been well chuffed with Royal Brave under the circumstances and will not be too flustered by the fact he has gone up a pound as he remains very much on the right side of the assessor.

PJ McDonald rides today's nap selection – and also AGE OF ELEGANCE, who has plenty going for her in the opening Hop House 13 Handicap.

Twice a winner at Beverley in the summer, the Roger Fell-trained filly was a big eye-catcher over a mile and a half at this track on November 6.

Despite having gone on her way at princely odds of 20-1, the four-year-old daughter of Makfi came home an encouraging fourth in a good race.

That effort probably deserves upgrading too, as she hit traffic problems one and a half furlongs from home and had to be switched out wide by McDonald.

Age Of Elegance was only beaten three and a half lengths and nothing appeared to be finishing quicker.

She races here off the same mark of 77, which is steep enough but seemingly not insurmountable. The return to 10 furlongs should not be a stumbling block either, as she is twice a winner over that distance.

CLOUDY DREAM, ridden by Brian Hughes, can take another quiet step along the chasing ladder when he lines up at Haydock.

The six-year-old grey finished runner-up in the Scottish Champion Hurdle at Ayr last season but connections have always felt he could be even better over fences.

Such positivity looked prescient at Carlisle last month when he excelled in a two-mile beginners' chase on soft ground.

Cloudy Dream jumped liked an old hand in Cumbria as he eventually won a three-runner affair by an eased-down three lengths.

Malcolm Jefferson's charge is not short of boot, of course, but he has also shown discernible staying qualities, which is a pretty irresistible combination.

And although it was disappointing to see runner-up Chidswell let the form down at Newcastle last week, that old cliche about only beating what is front of you is especially significant with Cloudy Dream in mind.

It might be very early days but victory in the Brown Shipley Graduation Chase would uphold the impression that he could be up to Festival class.

RETURN FLIGHT looks quite interesting in the totepoolliveinfo.com For Racing Results Chase at Ffos Las, while QUALANDO is a worthy ally in the Prince's Countryside Fund Beginners' Chase at Ascot.