Fingle Bridge can make his mark at Uttoxeter

Fingle Bridge can open his account over fences at the second attempt in the TGF Construction Christmas Bonanza Beginners' Chase at Uttoxeter on Tuesday.

Runner-up on his bumper debut here in 2022 before getting off the mark in some style at Chepstow that Christmas, the seven-year-old subsequently spent two years on the sidelines, but there has been no sign his considerable ability has faded at all.

Olly Murphy's charge rattled off a hat-trick of wins over hurdles last term, claiming the notable scalp of subsequent Grade One runner-up Regent's Stroll in a Listed event at Exeter in February to tee him up for an exciting novice chase campaign this season.

He returned to the Devon circuit to make his fencing debut three weeks ago and while no match for the top-class Lulamba, to whom he was conceding 8lb, the Flemensfirth gelding recovered from a couple of early jumping errors to beat 148-rated hurdler Salver to the runner-up spot.

Lulamba and Salver have both shown their quality over fences at Sandown in recent days and with a step up to 4000m a wise move, Fingle Bridge is difficult to oppose.

Baron Noir has an obvious chance in the Camburg Maiden Hurdle.

The Alan King-trained five-year-old won bumpers at Plumpton and Punchestown last season, with a third-place finish behind Sober Glory in a Newbury Listed heat sandwiched in between.

He was unsurprisingly cramped odds to make a successful switch to the jumping game at Warwick last month and while odds-on backers had their fingers burnt, time may tell he bumped into a very useful rival in Cristal d'Estruval, a point-to-point winner who set his connections back £400,000.

Baron Noir was comfortably best of the rest that day and should prove hard to beat at the second attempt.

The Paul Midgley-trained Lethal Nymph is rated the best bet on the all-weather at Newcastle.

The six-year-old has performed well at Gosforth Park on a few occasions and was an authoritative winner on his penultimate start.

He was unlucky not to follow up back here a fortnight later when encountering trouble in running and compensation awaits in the Make The Move To Midnite Handicap. - Press Association

TAB is betting on 2 UK meetings on Tuesday. Here are the tips:

UTTOXETER: Race 1: 15.00 FINGLE BRIDGE (NAP), Race 2: 15.30 Carismatic Soldier, Race 3: 16.00 Baron Noir, Race 4: 16.30 Ski Lodge, Race 5: 17.00 Hara Kiri, Race 6: 17.33 Volakes.

NEWCASTLE: Race 1: 17.18 Vampire Slayer, Race 2: 17.55 Get An Attitude, Race 3: 18.30 See That Spark, Race 4: 19.00 Lethal Nymph, Race 5: 19.30 Boubyan, Race 6: 20.00 Typeface, Race 7: 20.30 Uncle Sam, Race 8: 21.00 Yorkshire Glory, Race 9: 21.30 Ramon Di Loria.

ALL TO COME: Fingle Bridge and Baron Noir (Uttoxeter, Races 1 and 3).