Richard Hannon introduces Kuwait Direction in informative Windsor novice

The 5f novice stakes (5.25) at Windsor has produced its fair share of talented performers in recent years and last year was no exception with Emaraaty Ana making a taking debut before subsequently winning the Gimcrack at York.

Richard Hannon won the race in 2014 with Kool Kompany, who added the Railway Stakes and Prix Robert Papin to his CV before winning the Craven on his return to the track as a three-year-old.

The trainer's only other runner in the race since then was Legendary Lunch, second to Sea Of Snow in 2016, and he put defeat behind him to win the Listed Woodcote Stakes on his next start.

This time Hannon saddles the Sheikh Abdullah Almalek Alsabah-owned Kuwait Direction, who comes from a family the trainer knows well as the son of Kodiac is a half-brother to Tangled, who won a £300,000 sales race for the stable at York in 2017.

Hannon, who is pleased with the way his juveniles are training, said: "He's a nice two-year-old and he's ready to run. I wasn't aware we had run the two horses in the race before and it would be hard to compare him to those two."

He added: "The race comes at a nice time for us and hopefully he can run well."

Alan King, who was successful in the bet365 Gold Cup with Talkischeap at Sandown on Saturday, introduces Port Winston in the race, while Brian Meehan is represented by Top Buck.

Stradivarius form suggests Bowerman can make up for lost time

The richest race of the day in Britain is the £11,500 mile handicap (4.25) on the Tapeta at Newcastle.

The Roger Varian-trained Bowerman returns to the track for the first time since his debut, when remarkably he went down by only a head to subsequent champion stayer Stradivarius.

Bowerman (right, dark cap partly hidden) finished a narrow second to Stradivarius (yellow cap) on debutCredit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)

That course-and-distance effort came in November 2016 and, although he won his next two starts in the style of a promising horse, he has clearly been troublesome to train.

The five-year-old entire made his seasonal reappearance at Nottingham this month and ran with plenty of credit considering he broke a blood vessel, finishing third to Rise Hall.

In opposition are Tough Remedy and Trevithick, who both won over the course and distance in January, while Simon Crisford's Bobby K returns from a break having looked progressive in the autumn.

Can Just Brilliant return to winning ways?

Just Brilliant looked a colt destined for the top when breaking his maiden on the Rowley Mile at Newmarket in 2017, and he makes just his fourth career start in the 1m2f handicap (6.30) at Windsor.

Trainer Peter Chapple-Hyam saddled his half-brother Marcel to win the Racing Post Trophy in 2015 and the son of Lope De Vega was fifth behind Masar in 2018 Craven Stakes on his second start.

He made an encouraging seasonal debut when second behind runaway winner Canvassed at Kempton this month and now begins life in handicaps off a mark of 81.

Chapple-Hyam said: "He ran very well last time considering he'd been off a little while. The winner looked good and will probably head for a Listed race next."

On what the future could hold for Just Brilliant, he added: "He's still only four so there's plenty of time left for him. Like Marcel he could want a bit of cut in the ground, but he doesn't have a knee action like his brother, so he should be fine."

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