17:25 Newcastle

Wednesday 21 February 2018

All14:0514:4015:1015:4516:2016:5017:25

sunbets.co.uk Top Price On All Favourites Handicap

Off time: 17:26 | Winning time: 1m 26.03s

Arnarson⁶^{(ex 6)}

Age: 12| Weight: 10-1| J: Unknown| T: E A L Dunlop| D

Form: 53-1531

Made Of Honour¹¹

Age: 12| Weight: 9-9| J: Unknown| T: K R Burke

Form: 31771-1

(10)

Zeshov¹¹²

Age: 7| Weight: 9-8| J: Ben Robinson⁽⁵⁾| T: Rebecca Bastiman| OR: 76| D

10/1

Runner up at Redcar in early October (1m good to soft), but sits 3lb above his last winning mark at Musselburgh in May 2017. 0 from 3 on the AW, including over 1m at this track.

Form: 368235-

(2)

Tadaawol¹⁵⁶

Age: 5| Weight: 9-8| J: T Hamilton| T: R Fell & S Murray| OR: 76| C| D

14/1

Hit hard by the handicapper after bolting up at Catterick in early August (7f soft). Back fresh from a break, and is AW proven at Newcastle; a past winner over 6f.

Form: 414945-

(11)

Traveller^t¹¹⁹

Age: 4| Weight: 9-7| J: Cam Hardie| T: A Brittain| OR: 75| BF| D

12/1

A winner for Charles Hills at Lingfield (7f) just under 12 months ago, he raced consistently thereafter, but remained in the grip of the handicapper. Sold for 20,000 gns in October and gelded, he starts off 'a new man' for new connections.

Form: 443229-

Assanilka¹⁹

Age: 12| Weight: 9-6| J: Josephine Gordon| T: H J L Dunlop

Form: 4467-32

Nick Vedder³⁵

Age: 12| Weight: 9-5| J: Unknown| T: M Wigham| C

Form: 18033-2

(9)

Athollblair Boy¹²⁴

Age: 5| Weight: 9-4| J: Lewis Edmunds⁽³⁾| T: N Tinkler| OR: 72| BF| C

7/2

Doesn't win all that often, but there's no knocking him for consistency at Newcastle, and he goes well for this rider. Effective over both 6f and 7f, and went down fighting beaten just a head by the improving Oriental Lilly over 6f here last week.

Form: 420213-

(7)

Al Khan^p¹⁶

Age: 9| Weight: 9-3| J: K Stott| T: K A Ryan| OR: 71| CD

8/1

Halted an apparent downward spiral when taking a 7f Wolverhampton classified seller by a neck earlier this month (runner up The Amber Fort runs on Tuesday). Up 1lb, but 21lb lower than when contesting the 7f Class 2 handicap on this card in 2017.

Form: 5604-91

(5)

Abushamah¹⁴⁷

Age: 7| Weight: 9-2| J: J P Sullivan| T: Mrs R Carr| OR: 70| D

14/1

Not won since June 2016, over 1m at Redcar, and races from a mark a full 10lb lower. Not known for his AW exploits (0 from 1 career), and line ups for the first time since late September.

Form: 253729-

(3)

Archipeligo^p²¹

Age: 7| Weight: 9-1| J: Jamie Gormley⁽⁵⁾| T: I Jardine| OR: 69| C

10/1

A six-time winner on Tapeta, including twice at this track over 1m2f on the round course. Drops in trip almost 5f since his latest start in January, and it's purely a guessing game as to how he'll adapt.

Form: 941-994

(14)

Symbolic Star^p¹³

Age: 6| Weight: 9-1| J: Connor Murtagh⁽⁵⁾| T: F P Murtagh| OR: 69| CD

6/1

All bar one of his five career successes have come at this track (C&D x1, 1m x3). Given a 6lb rise for his latest victory, and found wanting in a stronger race latest, but the ease in grade today is helpful.

Form: 7187-15

(1)

Hitman¹²⁴

Age: 5| Weight: 8-12| J: Jason Hart| T: Rebecca Bastiman| OR: 66| D

7/1

Skulking in the shadows and absent since downing Grinty by ¾L at Redcar in October (7f). Up 4lb, but has won from a much higher mark in the past for William Muir, and rates as a dangerous horse to ignore on his AW debut.

Form: 309661-

(8)

Glorious Rocket^h⁷²

Age: 4| Weight: 8-11| J: B A Curtis| T: T D Barron| OR: 65

16/1

Showed a reasonable level of form for Luca Cumani in late 2016 (6f Kempton winner), but wholly disappointing since joining this shrewd trainer. Races from his lowest ever handicap mark (65) following a tame effort in a Southwell claimer in December.

Form: 775407-

Tellovoi⁷

Age: 18| Weight: 8-10| J: Unknown| T: R C Guest| D

Form: 2663-12

(13)

Lucky Violet^h²³

Age: 6| Weight: 8-9| J: P Hanagan| T: Miss L A Perratt| OR: 63| D

25/1

Kept on strongly when winning a 7f Musselburgh fillies handicap for Iain Jardine in August 2016, but was off for 14 months thereafter. Dismal since, including on her stable debut at Wolverhampton (7f) last month.

Form: 21/855-0

(6)

Rockley Point^p²¹

Age: 5| Weight: 8-9| J: A Mullen| T: K Scott| OR: 63| D

20/1

Chelmsford maiden winner in 2016, and put a couple of disappointing efforts behind him when finishing third over 7f at Chelmsford in December on his final outing for Paul D'Arcy. Mixed form for his new trainer, so best watched.

Form: 2683-38

(4)

Magistral^p⁴⁹

Age: 8| Weight: 8-6| J: Josephine Gordon| T: Miss L A Perratt| OR: 60

16/1

You have to go back to July 2013 to find the only win on his CV, in a Windsor maiden (1m) for John Gosden. Has run a couple of fair races at this track, but both of those efforts were over 1m4f.

Form: 056402

(12)

Thorntoun Lady³³

Age: 8| Weight: 8-4| J: Phil Dennis⁽³⁾| T: J S Goldie| OR: 58

10/1

Cheek-pieces brought about improvement at Wolverhampton in October, but were left off over C&D latest when beaten 1¼L by Joyful Star. Up a further 3lb, but can compete off this mark and her trainer has saddled numerous Newcastle winners lately.

Form: 46071-2

Forecasts

Athollblair Boy (7/2), Symbolic Star (6/1), Hitman (7/1), Al Khan (8/1), Archipeligo (10/1), Thorntoun Lady (10/1), Zeshov (10/1), Traveller (12/1), Tadaawol (14/1), Abushamah (14/1), Glorious Rocket (16/1), Magistral (16/1), Rockley Point (20/1), Lucky Violet (25/1)

A low grade finale, and very much a case of after the Lord Mayor's show on an otherwise stellar midweek AW card. Confidence restored with a recent selling victory at Wolverhampton, Al Khan competes off a mark which is 21lb (& three grades lower) than when finishing fifth to Suzi's Connoisseur in the 7f Class 2 handicap on this card in 2017. Jim Goldie has enjoyed a fine calendar year so far at Gosforth Park, and his mare Thorntoun Lady has claims, as does the ever consistent but infrequent winner Athollblair Boy. Symbolic Star is another who should never be discounted at Newcastle, but 1m Class 6 handicaps are more his ideal match, so the AW debutante HITMAN is taken to mow down his rivals in a very winnable race. Rebecca Bastiman has given her horse a break since winning over this trip at Redcar in October, but a 4lb rise in the weights appears to be very fair, with his other career victory (for William Muir in July 2016) coming off a mark of 74; 8lb higher than today's perch of 66.