14:30 Newcastle

Tuesday 29 January 2019

All13:2013:5514:3015:0515:3516:05

Watch Sky Sports Racing On Virgin 535 Handicap Chase

Off time: 14:30 | Winning time: 6m 20.2s

Rock On Fruity³⁸

Age: 10| Weight: 11-12| J: R P McLernon| T: B Haslam| OR: 134| C| D

16/1

Back to form when springing a 40-1 surprise here (2m4f, soft) last month. Up 9lb for that. Step back up in trip not a concern, but that rise is.

Form: U-PU571

Theligny^t⁴¹

Age: 8| Weight: 11-11| J: Alan Johns| T: Tim Vaughan| OR: 133

9/1

Multiple middle distance hurdle winner in 2016. 6lb higher than the best of those. Still early days over fences, and may be capable of kicking on now, on his second start after wind surgery.

Form: P/72P-36

Straidnahanna⁴⁵

Age: 10| Weight: 11-10| J: Danny Cook| T: J Parkinson & S Smith| OR: 132| C

6/1

Catterick specialist, but encouraging that this is the only other track on which he has won. Stays 3m6f and won over that trip from this mark in 2017. Consistency has never been a strong point, so no surprise to see him leave recent efforts behind.

Form: 5P1P-63

Solighoster³⁸

Age: 7| Weight: 11-10| J: R T Dunne| T: N P Mulholland| OR: 132| C

9/2

Won a bumper here on good to soft, and won't mind any further rain. Slow jumps at the first two made his task difficult at Ascot last time, so that was not a bad effort in context. Not ruled out from 1lb lower.

Form: 15F-8F4

Takingrisks³⁴

Age: 10| Weight: 11-8| J: R D Day| T: N G Richards| OR: 130| D

4/1

8lb higher than when winning over hurdles at Ayr in November. Has since run well in two better races than this over fences. Drops 2lb for this, and has claims.

Form: 13-5123

Conna Cross⁴⁰

Age: 8| Weight: 11-4| J: Tom Cannon| T: J Farrelly| OR: 126

4/1

Dual chase winner at up to 2m6f. Went close from this mark at Hereford (2m5f, good) on his penultimate start. This is slightly further than he has ever tried, so he has a bit to prove on the stamina front, but he is entitled to respect.

Form: 101-324

Western Jo^t¹⁹

Age: 11| Weight: 11-1| J: Jonathan England| T: S England| OR: 123

8/1

Both his chase wins have been at Hexham (2m4f/3m) on ground more testing than this, though he ran well on good when his stamina didn't quite see out 3m6f last time. Still has potential from this 2lb lower mark, now back in trip. Claims.

Form: 4131-63

Bigirononhiship⁵⁵

Age: 8| Weight: 11-0| J: Craig Nichol| T: R Dobbin| OR: 122

9/2

Lightly-raced gelding who has won twice on testing ground. Was going well in those conditions when falling three out at Haydock last time. Has run well here in defeat and could be a player, although ideally wants more rain.

Form: 2R3/15-F

Non-Runners

Ascot De Bruyere²⁴

Weight: 11-1| Age: 9

T: J Ewart J: B S Hughes

Forecasts

Conna Cross (4/1), Takingrisks (4/1), Bigirononhiship (9/2), Solighoster (9/2), Ascot De Bruyere (5/1), Straidnahanna (6/1), Western Jo (8/1), Theligny (9/1), Rock On Fruity (16/1)

A really competitive race in prospect and a tough one to call. Rock On Fruity will need to improve on anything we have seen from him to back up that latest win from 9lb higher, but ASCOT DE BRUYERE might be able to follow-up his second C&D win from 6lb higher and is taken to do so. Theligny is unexposed and a potential danger, along with Conna Cross and Solighoster, whose fencing will need to be more fluent. A revival by Straidnahanna is not written off, while Takingrisks, Western Jo and Bigirononhiship can also have cases made.