Newbury bang on target - but Kalashnikov the one to take out of the weekend

Newbury on Friday and Saturday provided two hugely enjoyable days and the incarnation of the new Ladbrokes era could hardly have made a better start.

The big chase was a cracking spectacle, there were plenty of notable novice performances and a pleasing injection of Roy Of The Rovers sporting romance with the victory of Beer Goggles, who had the uncommitted roaring him home from the last as Unowhatimeanharry loomed in his wing mirrors.

There is something eminently fair about the track at Newbury. Wide and flat with sensible bends, it is not one of those courses with tricks up its sleeve waiting to ensnare the unwary. It is a test without being a series of traps.