Newcastle Good Friday preview: What the trainers say

McGuinness looking to Harry’s Bar for Sprint victory

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Adrian McGuinness’ Irish raider Harry’s Bar looks to make a successful trip to Newcastle when he goes for glory in the Betway All-Weather Sprint Championships Conditions Stakes on Friday.

The seven-year-old has been well-travelled in the early part of the year having spent January and February running in Meydan.

The gelding failed to trouble the judge in four outings in Dubai, but returned to the winner’s enclosure with a comfortable win at Dundalk last time, a performance which puts him bang in contention for this £150,000 prize.

McGuinness was delighted to see his 11-times winner triumph again and is confident he can make his mark in the north east, with the handler counting the switch in venue from Lingfield to Gosforth Park as a positive for his charge, who was sixth in the race last year.

“You would have to say that Harry’s Bar favours the all-weather and it was great to see him back in that sort of form at Dundalk the other week,” he said.

“He disappointed us a little in Dubai, although he did run well over seven furlongs one night, but I think everything about the race at Newcastle should really suit him.

“The straight course there takes a bit of getting and he will enjoy it if they go hard and come back to him. I can see him running a big race.”

Charlie Fellowes’ Ejtilaab is expected to play a major part in this sprinting showcase and tuned up for his tilt at this prize with an impressive win at Kempton last month.

The highest-rated horse in the race, the course-and-distance winner appears to tick plenty of boxes and his handler is certain he will do his reputation justice.

“Ejtilaab has been in really good nick and this race has been the plan since he returned from Dubai. He worked on Friday on the grass and looked fantastic,” he said.

“I think he has a lot going for him; he has won over the course and distance, he is the highest-rated horse in the race and he is coming in on the back of a career-best performance.

Another to make a trip to the middle-east during the colder months, Fellowes believes his time in Meydan could be the making of the six-year-old.

“His trip out to Dubai seems to have made a man of him and those runs on the dirt in particular have taught him how to sprint properly. They go so hard from the start that, if you don’t get out and get your legs moving, you are stuck in behind facing the kickback, which makes it very difficult,” he explained.

“I guess he could have gone the other way and hated it, but thankfully it has brought him on. I think that was borne out in his performance at Kempton when he bossed the race from start to finish.

“I thought the manner of his win at Kempton was outstanding, especially under top weight, and if he can replicate that level of performance at Newcastle, he is going to take a bit of beating,” added Ejtilaab’s trainer.”

Exalted Angel was runner-up to Summerghand in this 12 months ago and is part of a three-strong challenge from Karl Burke’s yard.

All three ran in the Kachy Stakes at Lingfield in February and only a neck separated Spycatcher (first) and Lord Of The Lodge (second), who join last year’s silver medallist to make a fearsome Spigot Lodge triumvirate.

Spycatcher is the shortest-priced of Burke’s trio with the bookmakers and the trainer said of his chances: “Spycatcher has had a few issues with quarter cracks, which has held us up a bit since his last run, but he is in good shape now and moving well.

“If he runs like he did in the Kachy Stakes, he should have every chance and the track at Newcastle will play more to his strengths than Lingfield.”

Having been denied on the line at Lingfield, Lord Of The Lodge took in a trip to Meydan for the Group Three Nad Al Sheba Turf, finishing an honourable eighth.

“Lord Of The Lodge has come back from Dubai in good shape and I can see him running a big race. He has a good record at Newcastle and that can only be a positive,” added Burke.

The handler also delivered a positive bulletin about Exalted Angel, who will have the assistance of David Probert on Friday afternoon.

“Exalted Angel would have been at least third behind the other two in the Kachy Stakes had he not been hampered close home,” said Burke.

“Then we made the mistake of running him back quickly a couple of times, so we gave him a break and he is coming back to himself now.”

Keith Dalgleish saddles two including Volatile Analyst, who was a Listed winner at Doncaster and will look to follow up in the hands of Callum Rodriguez. He is joined in the line-up by stablemate Soldier’s Minute, with Tom Marquand partnering Mick Appleby’s consistent Edraak.

Tyrrhenian Sea aiming for Easter Classic redemption

Tyrrhenian Sea looks to get back to winning ways in the Betway Easter Classic All-Weather Middle Distance Championships Conditions Stakes.

The Roger Varian-trained Dark Angel gelding won his first three starts, which all took place over a mile at Gosforth Park, but lost his unbeaten record when upped to 10 furlongs at Kempton last time.

However, he was beaten only half a length following an interrupted passage and is now given the chance to set the record straight at the distance.

The Carlburg Stables handler said of his chances: “”We like him a lot, he’s a lovely horse and arguably should be unbeaten going into Friday. I think he’ll run very well, he’s training nicely. It’s only a small field, but it’s very competitive. We’re hopeful”

Matterhorn won this race for the Kingsley Park team in 2019 and this year Charlie and Mark Johnston rely on Living Legend, who was a game winner of the Magnolia Stakes last time.

Al Zaraqaan was beaten just a nose when second in that Listed contest and returns to Newcastle for the first time since scoring over track and trip in January.

With only six runners in the line-up, Archie Watson’s charge is already guaranteed a share of the prize-money, but Simon Turner of owners Hambleton Racing, is eager to see how the five-year-old fares.

“We were thrilled with his run last time, I think if he can reproduce that form then he has every chance of being bang there,” he said.

“On Friday it is a very valuable race and he’s already guaranteed some prize-money with it being a small field and we are very happy with him going into it, he’s been working well.

“Going off his last run, if he can reproduce that he should certainly be in among the place money at the very least. It would be fantastic given he’s relatively new to us, he didn’t cost a fortune and to run in a race with £200,000 on offer is excellent.”

Marco Botti’s Felix was disappointing when sent off 3/1 in the same Kempton event and will be hoping to bounce back. The trainer is willing to draw a line through a race where nothing went right for the six-year-old.

“We were disappointed with Felix at Kempton but the race did not pan out for him at all. Daniel (Muscutt, jockey) went to go forward and unfortunately got stuck three-wide most of the way, which didn’t suit,” said Botti.

“Felix looks in good condition, so we are very hopeful that he can bounce back to the level he showed prior to Kempton. The run in Dubai was good and, on that form, he should have a leading chance.

“I have thought for a while that Newcastle will suit him better than the sharper tracks like Lingfield. Newcastle is a big, galloping track and, with his style of running, it should play to his strengths.”

The field is completed by United Front, who will be partnered by Tom Marquand, and French raider Charlesquint, who justified favouritism at Chantilly last month.

Ryan expecting Dark Moon to rise to Burradon challenge

Kevin Ryan has a leading chance at Newcastle’s All-Weather Championships Finals Day as Dark Moon Rising bids to land Listed honours in the Coral Burradon Stakes.

The colt was last seen in the Cardinal Stakes at Chelmsford, a competitive race in which he defeated Group performer Harrow by a length and a quarter.

A field of six are due to line up for the one-mile contest on Good Friday and Ryan is hopeful his Pete and Angie Bailey-owned runner will demonstrate some improvement on his last outing.

“He’s in great form and put up a great performance at Chelmsford,” he said.

“We’d left plenty in him and he’s going to improve for the run, so you can probably mark up his performance considering that. It’s going to be a tough race, but it’s a great prize and if we’re going to take the next step forward, you have to be competitive in it.”

Haggas sweet on Oberon

William Haggas’ classy My Oberon heads the market for the All-Weather Mile Championships Conditions Stakes on the same card.

The gelding booked his ticket for the race when winning a fast-track qualifier at Southwell in February and then set sail for the Middle East to contest the Dubai Turf, a race in which he was beaten four and a half lengths by dead-heaters Panthalassa and Lord North.

That performance was on March 26, however, and Haggas is mindful that little time has passed between then and his upcoming outing.

“He was running a really lovely race (in Dubai), I was very pleased with him and if he runs like that again, he will win,” the trainer told Sky Sports Racing.

“Consistency is not his A-game, but he’s got a good draw which I am pleased about. I was concerned that I didn’t want it too low with him, but he’s drawn nine which is perfect. He ran in Dubai and had a really hard race 20 days ago, I’ve done nothing with him since so I don’t know whether that will affect him or not – we’ll see.”

Archie Watson has two chances in the shape of Imperial Sands and Tempus, both of whom run in the Hambleton Racing colours.

Imperial Sands has proven himself to be a consistent performer on synthetic surfaces when either winning or placing in each of his past four runs at Lingfield, with connections inclined to think he will be even more effective on the track at Newcastle.

“He’s put together some consistent form at Lingfield but we have a suspicion that Newcastle might be more suitable for him. He’s a big, strapping horse, so it will be really interesting to see how he gets on on Friday,” said Simon Turner, racing manager for Hambleton Racing.

Tempus was last seen on the turf at Doncaster, finishing second to Chindit in the Listed Doncaster Mile on the opening day of the Flat season, prior to which he was the winner of a Newcastle fast-track qualifier on his debut for Watson in January.

“We’ve been delighted with him as he was a relatively cheap purchase at just 25,000 guineas and he’s quickly turned into a very good, solid horse,” Turner said.

“He was impressive at Newcastle in the fast-track qualifier last time out and I don’t think there’s any disgrace in being beaten by Chindit, who is a very good horse.

“Both horses are in great form, they really pleased Archie with their final pieces of work late last week and we’re really excited to run them both.

“Imperial Sands will be really well suited, we think, to this stiff mile and Tempus obviously ran a cracking race last time at Doncaster, so they are both entitled to take their chance and we hope they can run well and get amongst the prize money.”

There is an Irish raider among the field of 11 as David Marnane is represented by Freescape, an experienced seven-year-old who returns from a spell in Meydan to run at Newcastle for the second time in his career.

“Freescape came back from Dubai really well and the plan all winter has been to take him to Newcastle,” the trainer said.

“We were pleased with his first run in Dubai behind Lord Glitters and then it did not pan out for him in the Group One – he hit the gates almost too well and ended up getting no cover, but it was not a bad run by any means. He has run well at Newcastle before in the Burradon Stakes behind Gronkowski, although even that day we felt he didn’t help himself by being too keen. If they go a good gallop on Friday, he should give a good account of himself.”

O'Brien duo set to make a splash

Joseph O’Brien is another trainer bringing a horse over from Ireland as he runs San Andreas in the same race, a six-year-old gelding who won last time out at Dundalk and was third in a Group Two earlier in the year when lining up for the Irish Thoroughbred Marketing Cup at Doha in February.

“We have been very happy with San Andreas through the winter and he comes into this on the back of a good win at Dundalk,” O’Brien said.

“He looks as though he should be competitive on ratings and we are hoping that he can run into a place.”

O’Brien also has a chance in the Betway All-Weather Marathon Championships Conditions Stakes with Grandmaster Flash, who is a regular on Dundalk’s all-weather track and has Newcastle experience after finishing eighth in the 2021 running of the Northumberland Plate.

“Grandmaster Flash is in good shape but has a little bit to find with some of the principals,” said O’Brien.

“He enjoys the all-weather and there are not many opportunities for him over here, so hopefully he can run well.”

Marco Botti’s Rising Star was a Newcastle winner last time out and looks to double up in the Coral All-Weather Fillies’ And Mares’ Championships Conditions Stakes. That victory was over a mile and on Good Friday she will compete over seven furlongs, but Botti does not expect the shorter trip to pose an issue.

“She won nicely at Newcastle last month and, although it was a small field, it was still nice to see her back in that sort of form,” he said.

“The drop back to seven furlongs should not inconvenience her and I can see her running a nice race.”

Botti also has a runner in the Coral 3 Year Old All Weather Championships Conditions Stakes as Golden Warrior looks to maintain a consistent record on synthetic surfaces.

“Golden Warrior is a nice sprinter in the making and ran well to be third in what looked a decent race at Lingfield last time,” he said.

“The track was too sharp for him and moving to a stiffer six at Newcastle will be a help. He has a few pounds to find but I think there is more to come from him.”

Karl Burke is well-represented in the same race as both El Caballo and Kaboo hold entries.

El Caballo has won his last four races and is unbeaten on the all-weather, with Kaboo also impressive away from the turf having won three successive starts before finishing fourth at Lingfield last time.

“El Caballo is in great order. He has been working really well and, to be honest, I am absolutely delighted with him,” said Burke.

“I think he is a Group horse in the making and I am hoping that he can go and show that on Friday.

“Kaboo did not handle the track at Lingfield, Newcastle will suit him a lot better, as he showed earlier in the season, but I would not think he has the class to handle the other fella.”

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