BACKERS wishing to hit the ground running at Newcastle this evening could do worse than side with Honimiere (6.30) in the opening two-year-old contest.

Alan Swinbank's filly made a promising Musselburgh debut, making late headway to finish on the heels of the leaders.

Musselburgh's sharp five furlongs is in stark contrast to tonight's test over a stiff six, which should suit Honimiere a whole heap better.

Swinbank's patient style of training suggests his daughter of Fasliyev will improve for her initial spin, teeing up the chance of victory at the Tyneside track.

Champion trainer Sir Michael Stoute's horses are a rare bird at the venue, so the presence of Crystal Capella (7.35) is a welcome entry for the ten-furlong Maiden Stakes.

Let's not fool ourselves into believing Sir Michael has sent one of his stable stars to our region, but Crystal Capella is definitely on the upgrade.

Second on both of her two starts, the Sir Evelyn de Rothschild- owned three-year-old showed her heart is in the right place by staying on strongly at Nottingham 20 days ago.

Slavish followers of Tabaret must either have very deep pockets or be mugs for punishment, so long does is losing run.

Despite being in possession of a decent dollop of talent, Tabaret (8.40) hasn't actually won since August 2005, when bagging a tasty prize at York.

A subsequent third in Listed company sent his rating soaring to a heady 103, a mark which was quite simply too high for him to be competitive.

Now that Tabaret has dropped all the way down to 86, it could be time to go in all guns blazing.

The closing one-mile Handicap has only attracted five entrants, but it is still a very hard race to call from a punting point of view.

Middleham supplies three of the quintet, Giant Love, Reel Buddy Star, plus Karl Burke's Spigot Lodge raider, Ninefineirishmen (9.10).

The latter did everything bar win on his most recent Pontefract start, missing out by a matter of a inches when just failing to catch Premier Danseur.

On the basis of that effort Ninefineirishmen is a winner waiting to happen, provided he's recovered from what was a bruising battle.

For the nap we head south, where Mark Johnston's mud-loving Peppertree Lane (7.15) is just the ticket for Sandown's Henry 11 Stakes.