Angels Trust Handicap Hurdle

Off time: 13:05 | Winning time: 5m 42.9s

Coisa Blanco^p⁷⁵

Age: 5| Weight: 11-12| J: W T Kennedy| T: O Greenall & J Guerriero| OR: 90

14/1

Nine-race hurdles maiden; has left Jonjo O'Neill for £11,000 (September) since weakening quickly over 2m7f (good) at Worcester; dropped 3lb in the handicap.

Form: 3P65F8

Court Baloo^v²⁰

Age: 7| Weight: 11-4| J: Ross Chapman⁽³⁾| T: A C Whillans| OR: 82| D

10/1

Winner off a 4lb lower mark at Musselburgh (3m, good) in November 2017 but largely a disappointment since; best suited by prominent racing tactics; Alistair Whillans won this race with Chu Chu Percy in 2017.

Form: P-92P75

Permission Granted²²

Age: 6| Weight: 11-3| J: Craig Nichol| T: R Dobbin| OR: 81

6/1

Finished off strongly (third) behind Jack Lamb at Kelso (2m5f, good) in early October, but never better than a midfield position at Carlisle (2m3f+) since; today's extra yardage could suit this nine-race hurdles maiden.

Form: 978-638

Kovera^v⁸

Age: 6| Weight: 11-1| J: Alan Johns| T: Tim Vaughan| OR: 79

1/1

Running well over fences lately, and this race was ear-marked as his next target in the immediate aftermath of winning at Sedgefield (3m2f+; good) last week; ahead of the handicapper, so every chance that he'll break his hurdles duck here.

Form: 1-P5521

Bertie Blake^p⁸

Age: 5| Weight: 10-11| J: A Nicol| T: P A Kirby| OR: 75

11/4

Raced handily and has shown more promise of late (ten-race hurdles maiden); headed on the run to the final hurdle when beaten 1¾L by Hear the Chimes at Sedgefield (2m4f, good) last week; stamina question marks.

Form: 8-0P042

Pegasus Walk^b1⁷

Age: 9| Weight: 10-10| J: Thomas Dowson⁽³⁾| T: Mrs H O Graham| OR: 74| D

50/1

0-14 under rules for Rose Dobbin in 2014/15; has failed to see out either of his races for this trainer over the course of the past month or so (2m4f-2m7f+) and wouldn't necessarily figure on the radar despite the application of first time blinkers.

Form: 1/8PP-80

Gentleman James^p,t⁹

Age: 6| Weight: 10-7| J: Jamie Hamilton| T: Mrs Dianne Sayer| OR: 71

20/1

14-race maiden who was beaten in excess of 36L (sixth) in a desperately weak 2m6f handicap hurdle at Musselburgh last week; can't be the solution.

Form: 260P86

Forecasts

Kovera (1/1), Bertie Blake (11/4), Permission Granted (6/1), Court Baloo (10/1), Coisa Blanco (14/1), Gentleman James (20/1), Pegasus Walk (50/1)

Tim Vaughan highlighted this race as the likely next objective for KOVERA after he put his five rivals to the sword over fences at Sedgefield (3m2f) last week. Officially ahead of the handicapper in another very modest contest, he's strongly fancied to break his duck over hurdles at the eleventh attempt. Permission Granted is the sole Rose Dobbin-trained runner on today's Newcastle card and he rates as a possible contender for the runners-up berth with stamina question marks against the name of the otherwise slowly improving Bertie Blake.