NEWCASTLE'S Beeswing Stakes looks an ideal target for the temptingly well-handicapped Tough Love (3.15).

Number crunching is all part of a professional tipster's job and it's very important to inform potential punters of the fact that 15 months ago Tough Love was operating off a mark of 93, whereas now he's dived down to 78.

Tim Easterby's gelding so nearly took maximum advantage of having plunged 14lbs down the weights when overhauled by the ultra-game Go Solo in a driving photo finish at Redcar eight days ago.

Tough Love was actually just worried out of that verdict having initially appeared as if he was going to take the spoils at the seaside track. Bearing this in mind, jockey Graham Gibbons will, I'm sure, be at pains to deliver the selection at the last possible minute so he doesn't have too much time to think about the job.

Tim's uncle, the venerable Mick Easterby, wastes no time in whipping out Trick Cyclist (2.10) after the speedy gelding filled the runners-up berth behind One Way Ticket at Catterick on Wednesday.

In any event, Easterby was rather chancing his arm by sending Trick Cyclist to Catterick on account of the easy nature of that particular venue. By contrast this afternoon's far stiffer Tyneside venue will play to Trick Cyclist's strengths, namely his ability to turn on the power when faced with an uphill finish.

The £50,000 Skybet Dash forms the centrepiece of a cracking card at York in which Pieter Brueghel's astonishing early pace could prove crucial in the big-money sprint.

After a couple of years spent in the wilderness, the David Nicholls-trained speedster blasted out of the blocks and never saw another horse when posting an all-the-way win at Pontefract recently.

It's that sort of early pace which really gets the crowd on its feet, therefore if Pieter Brueghal (2.55) can set up a significant lead during the first half of the contest he might be impossible to peg back once the others click into overdrive come the final furlong.

A couple of Middleham-based raiders, Welcome Approach and City For Conquest, might easily fight out the finale of the five-furlong nursery.

It's great see a relatively small stable such as the John Weymes' yard in the mix with decent juvenile of the likes of Welcome Approach, who was heart-breakingly caught and passed by the width of fag paper at Ayr on Tuesday.

Ian Semple, responsible for The Bear, who so narrowly prevailed in that race, reckons his colt is listed or even Group 3 standard, an opinion which can only be regarded as a major boost for Welcome Approach's chances.

Although Newbury's £150,000 totesport International Handicap is one of the most competitive races of its kind, the presence of Polar Magic could still have the bookies shaking in their boots at the thought of a monster pay-out.

It's not quite panic stations about the 5-1 ante-post favourite because plenty of others have also been backed, but Polar Magic is a winner waiting to happen and he'll make a serious hole in the layers' satchels should he make up for an unlucky defeat at Newmarket last time out.

Mention must be made of the amazingly versatile Nottingham-bound Constable Burton, not only already successful on the sand at Southwell in the winter but also over the sticks in a maiden hurdle event at Perth this month.

Ann Duffield's inmate now reverts to the level and there's nothing to suggest that he'll be in any way inconvenienced without eight obstacles to jump. Nor is the opposition any great shakes in the Racing UK Handicap, for which the distance of mile-and-quarter should be absolutely ideal given the form profile of the progressive three-year-old.

* Constable Burton bids to make it three winning naps in a row for Janus, successful with Michaels Pride (Evens) and Pevensey (9/2) over the past two days.

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