16:40 Newcastle

Tuesday 23 October 2018

All14:1014:4015:1015:4016:1016:4017:1017:45

Betway Apprentice Handicap (Div 2)

Off time: 16:40 | Winning time: 2m 45.56s

(10)

Richard Strauss^p³

Age: 4| Weight: 9-12| J: Robert Dodsworth| T: P A Kirby| OR: 60

4/1

1-26 on the Flat, with that win coming over 1m at Dundalk in May 2017 (for Joseph O'Brien); third off this mark in this grade over C&D in September, beaten 1¾L by Highway Robber (Good Man second).

Form: 752334

(6)

Aelius^b,t¹⁴

Age: 4| Weight: 9-7| J: Josh Quinn| T: M & D Easterby| OR: 55

8/1

1-19; 16/1 when beaten in excess of 1L (second) by Albert Boy over 1m4f at Thirsk in August; non-stayer over further since; possible on AW debut.

Form: 862260

(9)

Coral Queen^p1¹⁴

Age: 7| Weight: 9-5| J: Oliver Stammers⁽³⁾| T: R Craggs| OR: 53| BF

7/2

11-race maiden; course record reads 3225; 2lb higher than when beaten 1L by the thriving Island Song over C&D last month; cheekpieces applied in an attempt to extract more.

Form: 0/33225

(7)

King's Coinage⁴²

Age: 4| Weight: 9-4| J: Sebastian Woods| T: Mrs R Carr| OR: 52| D

10/1

15lb lower than when winning a 1m4f Newbury handicap for Ed Walker in June 2017, and has served notice that wind surgery might eventually prove beneficial; has formed closely linked with Aelius.

Form: 880450

(8)

Kirbec^p¹¹

Age: 3| Weight: 9-3| J: Seamus Cronin| T: K Dalgleish| OR: 57

8/1

Still a maiden after 14 starts, and been tried in a variety of headgear this year without positive results; dropped 4lb for a modest AW debut at Wolverhampton (1m+) 11 days ago; stamina doubts.

Form: 475788

(5)

Good Man^p³²

Age: 5| Weight: 9-1| J: Faye McManoman| T: Karen McLintock| OR: 49

11/2

12-race maiden; twice runner up over C&D, including when beaten ¾L by Highway Robber (Richard Strauss third) on first start six months over C&D latest; 1lb higher on second appearance since wind surgery; chance.

Form: 6-07722

(2)

Magnum^t¹⁷

Age: 5| Weight: 8-12| J: Jessica Cooley⁽³⁾| T: S Corbett| OR: 46

40/1

21-race maiden; 46-rated and nothing at all to suggest that his second AW appearance (first since June 2016) will lead to an upturn in fortunes.

Form: 3/06978

(1)

Dolphin Village⁵⁷

Age: 8| Weight: 8-12| J: Jonathan Fisher⁽³⁾| T: S A Harris| OR: 45| D

33/1

8-69 career, but hasn't won since July 2016, and has largely been out of sorts in 2018; very difficult to build a case despite the paucity of talented opposition in this contest.

Form: 568068

(3)

Lord Franklin¹⁶²

Age: 9| Weight: 8-12| J: Harry Russell⁽⁵⁾| T: A Crook| OR: 45

100/1

Regular turf winner once upon a time for Eric Alston, but has struggled continuously since joining this yard; 0-9 on the AW and was virtually pulled up (over 2m) on his last Newcastle appearance in April.

Form: 467008

(4)

Wallflower²¹

Age: 3| Weight: 8-9| J: William Carver⁽⁵⁾| T: Rae Guest| OR: 49

9/2

Late bloomer who appears to be getting to grips with racing and competes from the foot of the weights in a very ordinary contest; finished ¾L second to the 72-rated Landue in a 1m4f Class 6 at Kempton latest; key player.

Form: 845252

Forecasts

Coral Queen (7/2), Richard Strauss (4/1), Wallflower (9/2), Good Man (11/2), Kirbec (8/1), Aelius (8/1), King's Coinage (10/1), Dolphin Village (33/1), Magnum (40/1), Lord Franklin (100/1)

Good Man should find a race eventually for local trainer Karen McLintock and is expected to confirm C&D form with Richard Strauss, whilst Coral Queen should be thereabouts based upon her past Newcastle efforts assuming that the newly-applied headgear can help to eke out a fraction more improvement. However, the more obvious looking winner is the late blooming and improving WALLFLOWER. She competes off a lowly mark (further aided by the 5lb claim of William Carver), and meets nothing like the calibre of opponent that she did when finishing three quarters of a length second to Landue at Kempton latest.