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Little Jo couldn’t quite make the transition from winning a 0-75 affair on the Tapeta surface at Newcastle to winning the Silver Cambridgeshire at Newmarket three weeks later, but was only headed in the dying strides when beaten two necks in the latter contest and can make amends in the WSG Sports Signage Handicap (4.00) back on the Rowley Mile on Friday. Brian Ellison’s four-year-old is 5lb higher in the weights on this occasion, but eased slightly in grade, so a fourth win in five starts would be no surprise. The Major Cadeaux gelding has clearly benefited from a wind operation in March, completing a hat-trick within the space of four weeks in August and September, and may still have more improvement to come.

Of course, Little Jo has already officially improved by 28lb since making his seasonal reappearance in a lowly 0-60 contest at Newcastle in July, but while it’s inevitable that the handicapper will catch up with him in due course he may not have done so just yet. He’s had a five-week break since his Silver Cambridgeshire effort, so should be fully recovered from his exertions and looks a decent bet to round off his, already successful, season with another victory. Jockey Callum Rodriguez has ridden him just once, steering him to victory at Newcastle on his penultimate start, and looks to have every chance of maintaining his 100% record.

Selection: Newmarket 4.00 Little Jo to win 7/2

Recent winning form is in short supply in the 188Bet Casino Handicap (7.45) at Newcastle on Wednesday evening, but Newmarket Warrior scraped home by the minimum margin at Ayr last month and again ran well when a never-nearer fifth of 15, beaten 1¾ lengths, behind Bezos, in a similar race at Pontefract nine days ago. Iain Jardine’s seven-year-old also won a small 0-80 handicap over course and distance in March, off today’s handicap mark of 71, so must be of interest in this slightly easier grade.

Admittedly, the son of Dalakhani has failed to trouble the judge on three subsequent starts at High Gosforth Park this season, but has run creditably in defeat on all three occasions. He could be ready to win again after two highly encouraging runs on turf since his last visit in early September. Indeed, his latest course and distance form, when a keeping on fourth of 13, beaten 6½ lengths, behind Little Jo, has been franked by the winner, who was only beaten two necks in the Silver Cambridgeshire at Newmarket, off a 5lb higher mark, next time. The fifth, War Department, also won his next two starts, in taking style, so the form looks plenty strong enough in the context of this race.

Apprentice Jamie Gormley, who’s won on him three times, including twice over course and distance, knows him as well as anyone and it’ll be disappointing if the partnership doesn’t go very close to winning what is, in the main, a fairly ordinary contest. Recent Wolverhampton winner New Orleans looks his main rival.

Selection: Newcastle 7.45 Newmarket Warrior to win 8/1

Despite just eight runners, the Londonmetric Noel Murless Stakes (3.35) at Ascot on Friday presents a thorny puzzle, with doubts about each of the participants for one reason or another. Sevenna Star carries a Pattern race penalty for winning the bet365 Classic Trial at Sandown in April, but subsequently disappointed in the Derby and the Great Voltigeur Stakes, while Austrian School, too, is becoming frustrating after finishing second on five of his last six starts. Mekong evidently enjoyed testing conditions, not for the first time in his career, when hacking up at Haydock last month, but is consequently 1lb worse off for the 1¾ lengths he finished behind Ghostwatch on his previous start, on faster ground, in the Melrose Handicap at York.

With the weather in Berkshire set fair for the next few days, Ghostwatch could be the one to take advantage. Gelded in August, the son of Dubawi won the Melrose Handicap on his first start back and, although no match for First Eleven – trained, like Sevenna Star, by John Gosden – over 1 mile 4 furlongs on this course next time, should appreciate stepping back up in distance. The gelding operation appears to have corrected his slightly ‘wayward’ tendencies, as was always the intention of his trainer Charlie Appleby, and the son of Dubawi looks ready for his first crack at some ‘black type’.

Selection: Ascot 3.35 Ghostwatch to win 11/4

It would appear that a 4lb rise in the weights for winning on his penultimate start was supposed to put paid to Weather Front at Hamilton at the end of last month, granted that he was sent off 7/1 fifth choice of the nine runners, despite having won two of his three previous starts. Presumably, it was because he was trying 1 mile 4 furlongs for just the second time, having been beaten on his first attempt, under less arduous conditions, at Doncaster in May. Not only did he win at Hamilton, though, he did so comfortably so, having coped admirably with the steep gradients at that course, he shouldn’t be inconvenienced by Beverley, where the downhill turn into the home straight and the short straight, itself, places less emphasis on stamina.

Until recently, trainer Karen McLintock probably thought of him solely as an all-weather horse, but his now proven stamina, not to mention his liking for rain-softened turf, should open a few more doors for him. Indeed, the aptly-named son of Stormy Atlantic is also 3-3 for apprentice Jamie Gormley, who is with Iain Jardine, so the young man could prove to a lucky omen, not to mention taking a very useful 3lb off a horse that’s aleady gone up 19lb this season.

Selection: Beverley 3.25 Weather Front to win 5/1