13:30 Newcastle

Saturday 30 June 2018

All12:2012:5513:3014:0514:4015:1515:5016:25

Betfred Northumberland Vase Handicap (Consolation Race for The Northumberland Plate)

Off time: 13:32 | Winning time: 3m 31.84s

(6)

Financial Conduct⁸⁵

Age: 4| Weight: 9-10| J: Oisin Murphy| T: D M Simcock| OR: 97

17/2

Joins David Simcock as a progressive AW proven stayer; a three-time Dundalk winner (all 1m4f) for previous trainer Andy Oliver, he's been raised 9lb for his latest comfortable 3L win in early April.

Form: 421-121

(10)

Silver Concorde^v¹⁴

Age: 10| Weight: 9-8| J: G Lee| T: K Dalgleish| OR: 95| D

50/1

2014 Champion Bumper winner who developed into a fairly useful hurdler (admittedly disappointing at Hexham earlier this month); no show after a slow start in the Chester Cup in May (finished third in that race in 2016); tough task.

Form: 1308/3-0

(4)

Look My Way¹¹

Age: 4| Weight: 9-7| J: Jason Hart| T: J & S Quinn| OR: 94| D

25/1

Neck winner of the 2m2.5f Chester Plate (Chester Cup Consolation Race) in May, but blew his chance in the Ascot Stakes latest (boiled over pre-race); better than that form but faces a tougher test off 4lb higher than at Chester; 1 from 6 on AW.

Form: 391-310

(19)

Cosmelli^b³⁸

Age: 5| Weight: 9-7| J: Daniel Muscutt| T: Miss Gay Kelleway| OR: 94

33/1

Made all when winning a Class 3 Handicap at Southwell in January (1m4f), but despite digging in off the front for pressure at Kempton last month (1m3f) essentially wasn't strong enough off an 8lb higher mark; finished eighth of 20 in the 2017 Plate.

Form: 736-818

(15)

The Grand Visir^p³⁵

Age: 4| Weight: 9-7| J: D Tudhope| T: W J Haggas| OR: 94| D

4/1

€750,000 yearling; pushed out to score by ½L at Haydock last month (2m, good), with subsequent Ayr Class 2 winner Euchen Glen back in third; 4lb rise fair and remains unexposed at this trip; major player on AW debut.

Form: 4158-01

(17)

Star Of The East⁷

Age: 4| Weight: 9-6| J: J Fanning| T: C & M Johnston| OR: 93

16/1

Finished approximately 5L sixth to Euchen Glen at Ayr last Saturday (1m5f), and needs to fully prove himself over this trip (never won beyond 1m6f); previous Wolverhampton AW efforts were only moderate.

Form: 121936

(12)

Mirsaale^p¹¹

Age: 8| Weight: 9-6| J: Rowan Scott⁽³⁾| T: K Dalgleish| OR: 93| D

33/1

Dual purpose horse who regularly competes in tough races; beaten approximately 1½L (third) by Look My Way in the Chester Plate in May after a gritty win at Ripon; untested on the AW since March 2016.

Form: 00-6130

(9)

Euchen Glen⁷^{(ex 5)}

Age: 5| Weight: 9-6| J: P Mulrennan| T: J S Goldie| OR: 88| D

7/1

Carries a 5lb penalty for last Saturday's 1m5f Class 2 Ayr win (course specialist there; 21111); has to prove that he can adapt to the AW (0 from 2), but renews rivalry with previous Haydock conqueror The Grand Visir on better terms.

Form: 00-3731

(5)

Fire Jet²¹

Age: 5| Weight: 9-5| J: T P Queally| T: J Mackie| OR: 92

33/1

Five-time turf winner who appeared to take a liking to the 1m6f trip at Nottingham last season (dual winner); every indication that she remains progressive in 2018 with a couple of rock-solid Newmarket efforts; 0 from 3 on AW.

Form: 618-524

(13)

Sam Missile¹¹

Age: 5| Weight: 9-4| J: D C Costello| T: J A Osborne| OR: 91| D

16/1

Shock 25/1 winner of a 2m Ascot Apprentices Handicap in May (good to firm), but proved that was no fluke with a respectable showing in the 2m4f Ascot Stakes latest (11th of 19); fine on AW, sixth of 20 in the 2017 Plate.

Form: 672310

(1)

Suegioo⁶^{(ex 5)}

Age: 9| Weight: 9-4| J: P Hanagan| T: R A Fahey| OR: 86

25/1

Runner up in the 2014 Northumberland Plate (to Angel Gabrial) after earlier winning the Chester Cup; no win since, until a late charge at Pontefract last weekend (2m2f, good to firm) for which he earns a 5lb penalty; 15th in the 2017 Plate.

Form: 254941

(3)

Graceland¹⁰

Age: 6| Weight: 9-3| J: Louis Steward| T: M L W Bell| OR: 90| D

20/1

Doesn't win all that often (3 from 33), but is a consistent mare; on the premises in each of her last three runs (1m6f-2m), and beaten just a neck in this race in 2017 (off 3lb lower) by the sadly ill-fated London Prize.

Form: 28-0544

(8)

Dominating²²

Age: 4| Weight: 9-0| J: P J McDonald| T: C & M Johnston| OR: 87| D

20/1

Beat Suegioo by ¾L when taking Pontefract's Phil Bull Trophy in October 2017 (2m2f soft), but slow to get going in 2018 until a much improved effort at Carlisle latest (1m6f); up 2lb in a much deeper race (sole AW win in a Class 6).

Form: 91-8082

(20)

Bedrock^p,t²¹^{(ex 5)}

Age: 5| Weight: 9-0| J: Fran Berry| T: I Jardine| OR: 82| D

9/1

Much improved for wind surgery, developing into a useful dual purpose horse for this trainer (ex-Dan Skelton); 3lb well in under a 5lb penalty for his latest decisive Musselburgh win (2m, good to firm) with a slight query being his AW effectiveness.

Form: 223/521

(2)

Chocolate Box^p⁴⁴

Age: 4| Weight: 8-12| J: S W Kelly| T: D M Loughnane| OR: 85| D

28/1

Left Luca Cumani for 48,000 gns in November 2017, with new connections immediately recapturing some of that outlay with a clear-cut 3+L win at Chelmsford in March (2m Class 4); solid enough since off this mark, so couldn't be dismissed.

Form: 153-143

(16)

Cool Sky^p⁴³

Age: 9| Weight: 8-12| J: B A Curtis| T: Ian Williams| OR: 85| D

22/1

Shock Aintree 2m4f hurdles winner (33/1) last month and represents the trainer who took this race in 2017 with London Prize; stays very well and handled the AW well much earlier in his career; 5lb above his last winning Flat mark.

Form: 023/661-

(11)

Davy's Dilemma⁵⁶

Age: 4| Weight: 8-10| J: Callum Rodriguez⁽³⁾| T: M Dods| OR: 83

9/1

AW prowess largely untested but improved quickly last summer on turf when upped in trip recording back-to-back wins at Wetherby (1m6f) and Hamilton (1m5f); solid comeback third at Doncaster (1m6.5f); remains unexposed after just nine career starts.

Form: 55/411-3

(14)

High Command²⁴

Age: 5| Weight: 8-10| J: D Allan| T: G & J Moore| OR: 83

33/1

With Roger Varian when finishing just over 2½L third in this race in 2017 (Graceland second), but moved on for just 6,000 gns in November; 66/1 and finished in midfield at Kempton (1m4f) on stable debut and first run for ten months.

Form: 2/6330-7

(18)

Denmead²⁴^{(ex 5)}

Age: 5| Weight: 8-10| J: Rossa Ryan⁽³⁾| T: J Butler| OR: 78| D

22/1

Arrives in fine shape; closely matched with Chocolate Box and Graceland on York form, and carrying a 5lb penalty for his 2m Kempton win earlier this month (only due a 3lb rise); more to do in a stronger race.

Form: 520-721

Rule 4

Rule 4 applies to all bets - deduction 15p in the pound

Non-Runners

(7)

Dannyday¹¹

Weight: 9-8| Age: 6

T: Sir Michael Stoute J: Jim Crowley

Forecasts

The Grand Visir (4/1), Euchen Glen (7/1), Dannyday (7/1), Financial Conduct (17/2), Davy's Dilemma (9/1), Bedrock (9/1), Sam Missile (16/1), Star Of The East (16/1), Dominating (20/1), Graceland (20/1), Denmead (22/1), Cool Sky (22/1), Look My Way (25/1), Suegioo (25/1), Chocolate Box (28/1), Cosmelli (33/1), Fire Jet (33/1), High Command (33/1), Mirsaale (33/1), Silver Concorde (50/1)

The third running of the Northumberland Vase with 2016 winner Dannyday back, and the 2017 runner up Graceland and third High Command also in the field. However, the winner probably lies elsewhere with both the 2m2.5f Chester Plate and a 2m Haydock Class 2 Handicap providing the strongest clues. The Grand Visir and EUCHEN GLEN locked horns in that aforementioned Haydock race, with the unexposed William Haggas-trained 4yo narrowly coming out on top, but Jim Goldie's gelding made amends at his beloved Ayr last weekend and despite the 5lb penalty incurred for that decisive success, he looks potentially very well-treated off his noticeably lower AW mark.