20:45 Newcastle

Friday 16 February 2018

All17:4518:1518:4519:1519:4520:1520:45

Betway Casino Handicap

Off time: 20:47 | Winning time: 1m 12.96s

(4)

Hadley^p¹⁴⁷

Age: 5| Weight: 9-7| J: Jason Hart| T: Miss Tracy Waggott| OR: 60| D

14/1

Winner on good ground at Thirsk over this trip in August and placed at Musselburgh later that month. Probably best watched on his first start since finishing well beaten here the following month.

Form: 323127-

(2)

Breathoffreshair^t²⁸

Age: 4| Weight: 9-6| J: P Makin| T: R C Guest| OR: 59| BF| CD

13/8

Completed a hat-trick here when winning over C&D in November. Justified odds-on favouritism on that occasion and should appreciate this return to 6f having weakened into seventh over 7f subsequently.

Form: 64111-7

(5)

Alfonso Manana^b¹⁷

Age: 4| Weight: 9-6| J: Josephine Gordon| T: J G Given| OR: 59| D

3/1

Sole victory came in a 6f claimer at Wolverhampton in June last year. Fair effort when fourth at Chelmsford last month but probably best watched having finished held at Southwell last time.

Form: 160-746

(6)

Picks Pinta^b²⁸

Age: 7| Weight: 9-5| J: P Mathers| T: J Riches| OR: 58| D

7/2

Running well in defeat in recent starts including when finishing 1L second over 6f at Wolverhampton last month. Should appreciate the return to this trip having finished third here subsequently.

Form: 8474-23

(8)

Lucata²⁴

Age: 4| Weight: 9-2| J: P Mulrennan| T: A Berry| OR: 55

80/1

Six race maiden and failed to shine in two starts since joining this stable. Others make more appeal on today's handicap debut.

Form: 5253/0-4

(3)

Highly Focussed²⁵⁶

Age: 4| Weight: 9-0| J: F Norton| T: Mrs A Duffield| OR: 53

7/1

Finished second over 7f here in May last year. Unraced since finishing mid-division over the same trip at Ayr (good) the following month.

Form: 477526-

(9)

Rial⁵¹⁹

Age: 5| Weight: 9-0| J: Barry McHugh| T: Adrian Nicholls| OR: 53

40/1

Put in some decent efforts for Marco Botti as a juvenile but has struggled since leaving that yard and others make more appeal dropping in trip on debut for his yard and first start since September 2016.

Form: 099600/

(1)

Majestic Stone^v¹⁷⁴

Age: 4| Weight: 8-12| J: B A Curtis| T: Miss J A Camacho| OR: 51

14/1

Placed twice on turf last spring but struggled in three subsequent outings the most recent of which came at Redcar (6f, good-to-firm) in first time blinkers (visor returns today) in August.

Form: 822580-

(10)

Deben¹⁰

Age: 5| Weight: 8-7| J: Phil Dennis⁽³⁾| T: J R Weymes| OR: 45

12/1

Placed on two of his last three starts including when 6L third over this trip at Southwell last time out. Races from out of the handicap today.

Form: 69-4353

Non-Runners

(7)

Kingstreet Lady¹⁵

Weight: 8-11| Age: 5

T: Mrs R Carr J: P Hanagan

Forecasts

Breathoffreshair (13/8), Alfonso Manana (3/1), Kingstreet Lady (3/1), Picks Pinta (7/2), Highly Focussed (7/1), Deben (12/1), Hadley (14/1), Majestic Stone (14/1), Rial (40/1), Lucata (80/1)

BREATHOFFRESHAIR can register a fourth win here by taking this concluding sprint handicap. The selection was returning from a break when weakening over 7f here last time out and while he's won over that trip in the past his best form has come over today's distance. Picks Pinta looks capable of claiming second on this occasion having finished third over a furlong further than today's trip last time out while Kingstreet Lady, who's best form has come over shorter can finish third.