After racing prominently throughout, Thomas Campbell overcame a mistake at the last to forge clear and beat stable companion Khezerabad by 2 3/4 lengths.

It was a most taking performance which suggested Thomas Campbell needed keeping firmly onside and the runner-up has come out and won since to give the form a solid look.

With the prospect of plenty of improvement to come after just three starts under rules Thomas Campbell can get the better of Criq Rock to take this en route to better things.

Ascot tips for Friday, November 18

13.00: Secret Investor
13.35: Different Gravey
14.10: Thomas Campbell (NB)
14.45: Fox Appeal (NAP)
15.20: Alternatif
15.55: Draytonian

Cloudy Dream looks heavenly at Haydock

Trainer Malcolm Jefferson is in red-hot form at present and Cloudy Dream can provide him with another winner in the 2m Graduation Chase at Haydock (13.25).

The six-year-old has always been held in high-regard and showed progressive form over hurdles last season when winning two of his four starts and rounding off the campaign with a fast finishing second in the Scottish Champion Hurdle at Ayr when given far too much to do.

Cloudy Dream could have won plenty of decent pots over hurdles judged on that effort, but connections always maintained that his future lay over fences.

They wasted no time in switching him to the larger obstacles and he could not have been more impressive when landing a beginners’ chase at Carlisle last month.

After tracking the leaders and jumping with aplomb throughout, Cloudy Dream took up the running two from home to saunter clear and win easily by three lengths.

The manner of the victory suggested he was a most exciting recruit to the chasing ranks and Cloudy Dreaming can take this before stepping up into Graded company.

Capitaine the answer to opener

Captaine looks a smart prospect and can take the step up into Listed company in his stride to land the 2m novices’ hurdle that gets proceedings underway (12.50).

Trained by Paul Nicholls, the four-year-old opened his account at the second time of asking when running out the wide margin winner of a bumper at Wincanton back in April.

Capitaine then faced just one rival when making a winning debut over hurdles at the same venue last month and won unextended by 20 lengths.

Although he faced a simple task there was lots to like about the way he went about getting the job done and it was a performance which suggested the gelding was destined for much better things.

Haydock tips for Friday, November 18

12.50: Capitaine (NB)
13.25: Cloudy Dream (NAP)
14.00: Ami Desbois
14.35: Welsh Shadow
15.10: Constantine Bay
15.45: Another Stowaway

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