FOUR LEGS WITH HEAD AND A TAIL

Richard Eagle offers a novice's guide to backing a novice winner

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Most Racing Ahead readers have bags of experience spotting exciting prospects in the new generations of top hopefuls in the parade ring.

But few young punters are bred with an eye for the signs of potential in a young racehorse so here's a beginners guide which could be useful for anyone keen to get in on the action but not sure where to start.

As I leaned over the parade ring rails at Lingfield I looked around at other racegoers watching the two-year-old colts and geldings slowly make their way round.

A thought went through my mind: How many of those gathered knew what they were looking for? How many of them were just following everyone else and planting themselves in an orderly circle surrounding the young horses because that's what you're supposed to do?

I am sure that many just want to see their favourite jockey and trainer, and there is nothing wrong with that - it is the popular idols that make the sport enticing to many. There are not many sports where you can get so close to these special people.

But on this sunny spring day I was looking for indications of how many were marking the programme with special signs to indicate how wellor how below-average - each horse appeared to them. There are a few experienced scribes who you do see regularly at many courses (have they no homes to go to?) However, gathered around them in much greater numbers are Lingfield patrons who 'like the jockey's colours', who 'like the name' or just want to check that their selection has turned up.