MUD-LOVING Rotuma (3.10) must have a decent each-way chance in the feature race at Newcastle today, the £8,500 Gary Robson Memorial Handicap.

A mile-and-a-quarter in soft ground are the two critical factors required for Rotuma to show his best form and since both of those criteria are met at the Tyneside track there seems no reason why he'll not give us a decent run for our money.

The Michael Dods-trained gelding won at Hamilton and Ayr last season, rising 12lbs in the process from 54 to 66. Some might argue that starting the current campaign off the latter mark sets quite a mountain to climb but he ran perfectly respectably when fourth at Nottingham off 66 on his final outing last term, suggesting Rotuma is well capable of defying the hike in the weights.

By the way of a bit of extra insurance, Michael has also taken the precaution of booking top apprentice, Lee Enstone, who takes a handy 3lb of the selection's back in his bid to collect at the first time of asking in 2004.

Never afraid to run his horses in low-grade company, David Nicholls has taken the plunge and entered American Cousin (2.40) in the six-furlong Saltwell Signs Claiming Stakes.

A multiple winner in his long and relatively distinguished career, American Cousin was still good enough to pick up a Class E handicap at Beverley last September. That was a pretty competitive 20-runner affair, so theoretically at least, he should find this afternoon's opposition a lot less testing.

The longest race on the card, the two-mile Putter and Flutter Handicap, features several horses fit from a winter spell over the sticks.

Kevin Darley's services are much in demand and the fact Steve Gollings has managed to secure the former champion jockey to partner Almnadia (3.40) must say something about the mare's prospects.

Almnadia, a fabulously-bred five-year-old by Alhaarth, out of a Darshaan mare, has been running with plenty of credit in staying hurdle events and if she can maintain her recent improvement back on the level, the Gollings raider could prove to be unstoppable.

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