19:55 Newcastle

Tuesday 1 May 2018

All17:2017:5518:2518:5519:2519:5520:25

Townhouse Hotel Handicap

Off time: 19:57 | Winning time: 2m 12.43s

(10)

Archipeligo^p⁴⁹

Age: 7| Weight: 9-9| J: Jamie Gormley⁽⁵⁾| T: I Jardine| OR: 67| CD

13/2

Most effective on Tapeta and is a dual course winner, including this trip. Tried a variety of trips lately (7f to 1m4f), this should be to his liking.

Form: 1-99464

(5)

Rockwood^v⁴⁹

Age: 7| Weight: 9-8| J: D Tudhope| T: Karen McLintock| OR: 66| D

11/2

Capable on his day, was well beaten here last time over a mile but could be on a decent mark if finding his A-game now back over a longer trip.

Form: 40-6477

(8)

Exclusive Waters¹⁵⁹

Age: 8| Weight: 9-7| J: T Eaves| T: N Tinkler| OR: 65| CD

6/1

Experienced campaigner, been round the houses of late, runner-up over 1m4½f here in November on final start for previous trainer. Returns from break and not one to rule out.

Form: 7/11692-

(6)

Abushamah¹⁰

Age: 7| Weight: 9-6| J: J P Sullivan| T: Mrs R Carr| OR: 64

15/2

No win since June 2016 and yet to score on the AW (four runs). Handicap mark sliding all the time but hard to summon great confidence.

Form: 29-5408

(7)

Pickett's Charge¹⁰

Age: 5| Weight: 9-4| J: Ben Robinson⁽⁵⁾| T: B Ellison| OR: 62| C

5/1

Won on the AW here in January last year, when trained by Richard Guest, but has struggled a little since including on bow for this yard at Wolverhampton 10 days ago.

Form: 80654-5

(1)

Champagne Rules³⁴

Age: 7| Weight: 9-3| J: Connor Murtagh⁽⁵⁾| T: Mrs S A Watt| OR: 61| C| D

8/1

Couple of wins to end year here and at Kempton over longer trip (1m4f). Held on her on return to action in March having gone up 9lb, runs off same mark now dropped in trip.

Form: 05411-4

(9)

Traveltalk²⁷

Age: 4| Weight: 9-1| J: Kieran Schofield⁽⁷⁾| T: B Ellison| OR: 59| D

66/1

Went close over this C&D in October from 3lb lower, was poor on return from a break at Southwell last month but may have been wanting that run.

Form: 83318-0

(2)

Kiwi Bay³⁵

Age: 13| Weight: 9-0| J: Callum Rodriguez⁽³⁾| T: M Dods| OR: 58| C| D

8/1

Course winner is now a teenager, didn't run badly over C&D last time out 35 days ago, cannot be ruled out on that effort but others make more appeal.

Form: 6700-93

(12)

Leodis³⁵

Age: 6| Weight: 8-10| J: A Mullen| T: T P Tate| OR: 54

6/1

Thereabouts on both previous starts over this C&D, and not fully exposed from a fairly lowly mark. That said; probably not quite progressing as his trainer might've hoped, but still not totally dismissed at this stage of his career.

Form: 95-5345

(4)

Betty Grable¹⁷²

Age: 4| Weight: 8-9| J: Nathan Evans| T: W Storey| OR: 53

66/1

Six-race maiden whose form is nothing to write home about (unplaced) and not going beyond a mile for the first time on return from 172-days off.

Form: 656868-

(11)

Splash Of Verve⁶⁵⁰

Age: 6| Weight: 8-7| J: P Hanagan| T: D Thompson| OR: 50| D

20/1

Won a race in each of 2014 and 2015, but overall form was still patchy at best and he has an absence since July 2016 to overcome.

Form: 688064/

(3)

Orobas^v¹

Age: 6| Weight: 8-7| J: Paula Muir⁽⁷⁾| T: L Egerton| OR: 45

33/1

Sent off 66/1 over similar trip at Wolverhampton yesterday but outran those odds to go down just ½L in third spot.

Form: 6705/03

Forecasts

Pickett's Charge (5/1), Rockwood (11/2), Leodis (6/1), Exclusive Waters (6/1), Archipeligo (13/2), Abushamah (15/2), Champagne Rules (8/1), Kiwi Bay (8/1), Splash Of Verve (20/1), Orobas (33/1), Traveltalk (66/1), Betty Grable (66/1)

Not a contest to harbour a strong position in seemingly. A chance is given to ROCKWOOD, who has struggled a bit of late but could now be lurking on a dangerous mark if raising his game upped in distance. Likewise Archipeligo should be suited over the increased trip while Traveltalk, Pickett's Charge and Leodis could have some say.