Take a chance on The Whistling Teal in the Worthington Lincoln at Doncaster today. The first big race of the Flat season is renowned for its unpredictability, with last year's 9 to 2 winner Right Wing the first to start at single-figure odds for 12 years.
So it is well worth looking for a longer-priced alternative to hot favourite Tayseer, who has risen in the weights since landing a gamble at Newmarket last autumn and has not proven his fitness in 2000.
The Whistling Teal is a likely candidate.
The Julian Smyth-Osbornetrained four-year-old belied his inexperience with a series of good efforts in tough handicaps last season.
The colt was a short-head second in the Mail On Sunday Final at Ascot - significantly his only race over a straight mile course such as he will encounter today.
Lots Of Magic looks the class act in the Victor Chandler Cammidge Trophy.
He showed fine speed to make all in the Group Three Jersey Stakes at Royal Ascot last season and is clearly a high-class sprinter on his day.
The four-year-old won firsttime-out last year and is more than good enough to repeat the feat in today's Listed race.
Marsad can go one better than that by making his third successive winning reappearance, in the Blue Square On Open . . . Handicap at Kempton.
He was impressive when scoring at the first time of asking at Doncaster in 1999 yet remains on an attractive mark despite going on to run with credit in many of the top sprint handicaps.
Final Settlement can gain his second Kempton win of the year in an uncompetitive race for the Blue Square On Telewest Handicap.
He scored on the hurdles track here last month in a novice event and could well have a fitness advantage on this return to the Flat.
Best bet over jumps at Newbury could be Krabloonik in the opening Lambourn Trainers Association Handicap Hurdle.
He was set an impossible task in the Imperial Cup at Sandown, asked to come from some way behind in a slowly-run race, and did particularly well to finish fourth. Has a fine chance to gain compensation.
