Kikkuli taken to uphold family honour at Newmarket

Kikkuli is always going to struggle to live up to his exalted pedigree but he can kick-start his three-year-old season with a win in the Alex Scott Maiden Stakes at Newmarket on Tuesdsay.

He is by the super-sire Kingman out of the excellent broodmare Kind, who produced none other than Frankel.

That makes Kikkuli a half-brother to the likes of Sir Henry Cecil's great horse, Champion Stakes winner Noble Mission and Bullet Train.

Now trained solely by Harry Charlton, as his father Roger has retired, Kikkuli caught the eye on debut when second in a November Newmarket novice contest.

Had he any other pedigree, it would have been judged perhaps more favourably, but the unbeaten winner subsequently went to France to score in Listed company and the third has come out and won, so the form is red-hot.

Charlton may already have had a winner by then, as his Grand Karat impressed on more than one occasion last season.

Fifth of 10 on his debut at Newbury when 33-1, he was placed on his next two outings at Haydock and Kempton, latterly when a close second to the now 102-rated Orne.

Tom Marquand, fresh from another successful stint in Australia, is a notable booking and the JRA Handicap looks his off a mark of just 80.

Hallasan is one of two interesting Godolphin newcomers in the British Stallion Studs EBF Novice Stakes and it must be noted that William Buick prefers this half-brother to four winners, with Group Three juvenile scorer Al Raya among those siblings.

Adrian Nicholls is already off the mark for the turf season, which bodes well for the chances of Tees Spirit in the It's Never Ordinary At bet365 Handicap.

After a brilliant campaign in 2022, in which he won five times, including the Dash at Epsom and a Listed race in Ireland, he went winless last season.

As a result, his mark dropped from 104 to 91, so if he has got his mojo back, he should go well.

The best bet at Newcastle is Julie Camacho's Brummell in division two of the Download The Racecourse App Raceday Ready Handicap.

After a promising debut, he ran downfield twice but that meant he was able to start life handicapping off a lowly mark of 60.

Sent to Southwell, his chance appeared over before the start when he was drawn 12 of 12 on the 1200m round course. However, he never saw another rival in making all.

That suggested he was well ahead of his mark and a 5lb rise should not stop him following up if he is ready to go on his first outing for 144 days.

Fergal O'Brien's Denemethy was a very easy winner last time out at Wincanton and should follow up in the bettingsites.ltd.uk New Betting Sites Novices' Hurdle at Ffos Las. - Press Association

TAB is betting on 3 UK meetings on Tuesday. Here are the tips.

NEWMARKET: Race 1: 14.20 Hallasan, Race 2: 14.50 Tees Spirit, Race 3: 15.20 Grand Karat, Race 4: 15.55 Slipofthepen, Race 5: 16.30 Boiling Point, Race 6: 17.05 KIKKULI (NAP), Race 7: 17.40 Eye Of Dubai, Race 8: 18.15 Our Havana.

FFOS LAS: Race 1: 15.30 Followango, Race 2: 16.05 Pilgrims King, Race 3: 16.40 Wide To West, Race 4: 17.15 Denemethy, Race 5: 17.50 Mahland, Race 6: 18.23 Mulinas.

NEWCASTLE: Race 1: 17.57 Extinction, Race 2: 18.30 We Still Believe, Race 3: 19.00 Waiting All Night, Race 4: 19.30 Dyrholaey, Race 5: 20.00 Ten Dimes, Race 6: 20.30 Glory Call, Race 7: 21.00 Miners Gamble, Race 8: 21.30 Brummell.

ALL TO COME: Grand Karat and Kikkuli (Newmarket, Races 3 and 6).