Hugo Palmer hopeful of more progress from exciting Set Piece at Newcastle

It is not often Classic-winning trainers are on tenterhooks before a novice event at Kempton, but that was exactly how Hugo Palmer felt before Set Piece made his eye-catching racecourse debut last month.

"I was quite nervous beforehand because he's a horse we've always liked," Palmer said, as he prepares the exciting son of Dansili for his second start in what looks a hot novice contest at Newcastle (5.45).

"He had a very bad bruise to his foot in the middle of the summer, which was the reason for his late debut, and that's really the reason why we're running him now – in a normal scenario he wouldn't really be a winter horse.

"He missed so much of the summer that I wanted to get a second run into him to teach him more, so hopefully we can do that."

Watch Set Piece win at Kempton

En route to registering his debut success, the Khalid Abdullah-owned colt overcame trouble in running to advertise a blazing turn of foot to secure an easy success and Palmer is hopeful there is more to come.

"We'll continue to take every race as it comes and we'll see how much he steps forward from last time – hopefully everything continues to go right for him," he added.

"Moving forward I wouldn't rule anything in and I wouldn't rule anything out; the grass is an awfully long way away and I wouldn't rule out running him on the all-weather again."

Collooney bids to go one better

Olly Murphy is hopeful promising five-year-old recruit Collooney can build on a respectable hurdles debut when second at Plumpton last month in the 2m½f novice hurdle at Bangor (2.15).

Ollie Murphy: runs the promising Collooney at BangorCredit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

Owned by JP McManus, the son of four-time Ascot Gold Cup hero Yeats lines opened his account under rules in a bumper at Huntingdon in November and is a rather special horse for Murphy owing to his famous connections.

The trainer said: "He's my first horse for JP and it's a real privilege to be given him to train – hopefully he should give them a lot of fun; he certainly has plenty of ability."

Murphy, who clearly believes there is a lot more to come from the gelding, added: "He had a nice first run at Plumpton and looking back he was probably a bit unlucky not to win after nearly being brought down three out."

"The form from that race has been franked and it will certainly have sharpened him up. Hopefully he'll run very well, he's a nice horse with plenty of scope."

More to come from Know The Score?

Elsewhere on the Bangor card, David Pipe is hoping Know The Score can follow up his impressive first win over hurdles at Hexham in the 2m7f novice hurdle (3.25).

After finishing third behind two promising types at Chepstow in November, the six-year-old powered to an eight-length success last month over two and a half miles in the manner of a horse who may improve further over longer distances.

Pipe said: "He's an out-and-out galloper and the race looks as if it should suit him nicely. Bangor would be a tight enough course for him."

Know The Score: should be suited by the step up in trip at BangorCredit: Alan Crowhurst

With the weather in Britain seemingly clement for the foreseeable future, Pipe is conscious about getting another run into the son of Flemensfirth, who has never run on anything quicker than soft ground.

"I'm keen to get another run into him now as the ground seems to be drying out everywhere," the trainer added.

"He's a laid-back character who only ever really does as much as he has to. He's bred to be a three-mile chaser further down the line."

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