15:05 Newcastle

Tuesday 29 January 2019

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

Equine Products Handicap Hurdle (Qualifier for the Northern Lights Stayers Hurdle Series)

Off time: 15:05 | Winning time: 6m 18.10s

Speedy Cargo³²

Age: 6| Weight: 12-0| J: Harry Bannister| T: H Whittington| OR: 111

5/1

Placed in three Irish point-to-points and has shown promise over hurdles, without yet winning. Best effort came at Sedgefield (2m4f, good to soft) on penultimate start. Remains of interest up in trip for handicap debut.

Form: 32-4523

J'Ai Froid²⁹

Age: 6| Weight: 11-12| J: Max Kendrick⁽⁵⁾| T: B I Case| OR: 109

5/1

Runner-up in a maiden bumper at Towcester last April. Has shown some promise over hurdles, but this looks a stiff mark from which to make his handicap debut.

Form: 52-954

Top Billing^p³¹

Age: 10| Weight: 11-11| J: B S Hughes| T: N G Richards| OR: 108| D

14/1

Won his first race since 2015, when a 6L scorer at Carlisle (3m, heavy) last month. A 10lb rise for that, plus faster ground last time, meant that he was unable to back it up, and this also looks tough.

Form: 4-34017

Donnas Dream^p1³⁴

Age: 6| Weight: 11-10| J: Sean Quinlan| T: C Grant| OR: 107

20/1

Has shown promise in novice hurdles at around 2m4f, both here and at Sedgefield. Stamina-laden pedigree suggests she can do better now trying 3m, though this looks a stiff initial handicap mark on what she has achieved to date.

Form: 45-0263

Champagne Chaser⁷⁶

Age: 9| Weight: 11-9| J: Alan Johns| T: Tim Vaughan| OR: 106

10/1

Dual hurdles winner at around 2m4f in 2016 and 2017, the latter when 2lb higher. Stays 3m, acts on good to soft, and if able to get back to something like his best here, he would have claims.

Form: U463-90

Misfits^t⁴⁰

Age: 8| Weight: 11-9| J: Blair Campbell⁽⁵⁾| T: Miss Lucinda V Russell| OR: 106| BF| D

12/1

Dual 3m winner on soft ground over fences, but 0-12 over hurdles. Up 4lb for a couple of decent efforts in this discipline at Hexham last month, but more needed from this mark.

Form: P61423

Loch Linnhe^p¹²

Age: 7| Weight: 11-9| J: Ross Chapman| T: G Boanas| OR: 106| C

15/2

Won here over 2m4f (soft) from a mark of 100 (first-time cheekpieces) for Mark Walford in 2016, and since scored for him over fences at Hexham last May. Step back in right direction on second run for this trainer last time. More needed.

Form: P3P363

Kalaharry³⁰

Age: 7| Weight: 11-8| J: Callum Bewley| T: A C Whillans| OR: 105

11/2

Dual hurdles winner at Hexham (both 2m7f), including on soft last month, when 5lb lower. Not disgraced in better company last time. This looks more his level, and it would be no surprise to see him get very competitive.

Form: 6/31-717

Sunny Destination⁶¹

Age: 7| Weight: 11-8| J: Jonathon Bewley⁽³⁾| T: G Bewley| OR: 105

6/1

Looks capable of picking up a win based on his two heavy ground runs over shorter at Ayr this season. Well worth a try over this trip and wouldn't need to improve much for it to get closely involved.

Form: 6542-23

Skyhill^t⁴⁰

Age: 6| Weight: 11-7| J: Jamie Hamilton| T: Mrs A C Hamilton| OR: 104

33/1

Placed in five of his eight point-to-points. Best effort over hurdles was the middle one of three so far, when 12L third at Musselburgh (3m, good; first-time cheekpieces) last month. More needed on handicap debut from this mark.

Form: 02-2P35

Another Mattie^t⁵⁸

Age: 12| Weight: 11-7| J: Mr Kit Alexander⁽⁵⁾| T: N W Alexander| OR: 104| D

14/1

Has shown all his best form on ground more testing than forecast. Well treated based on some of his form from last spring, so not written off if the ground turns softer, but less attractive if it doesn't.

Form: 7433-57

Silk Or Scarlet²¹

Age: 7| Weight: 11-5| J: Lucy Alexander| T: N W Alexander| OR: 102

7/1

Yet to win, but went close at Perth (2m4f, soft) last April, and ran to that level at Ayr (2m5½f, good to soft) last time. Up 1lb for that, and also now up in trip, but every chance he will stay. Interesting.

Form: 4862-02

Madam Cloud³⁴

Age: 6| Weight: 10-13| J: C R King| T: T D Easterby| OR: 96| D

14/1

Won an Irish mares' maiden point-to-point on her second start (yld/soft). Best two hurdles efforts so far were both at Hexham (2m/2m4f). May have got in lightly for handicap debut, upped in trip. Very interesting if supported.

Form: 3-10454

Non-Runners

Petite Ganache²⁴

Weight: 11-2| Age: 7

T: N G Richards J: B S Hughes

Overtheedge¹⁸

Weight: 10-3| Age: 10

T: S G West J: J Kington

Forecasts

Petite Ganache (3/1), Speedy Cargo (5/1), J'Ai Froid (5/1), Kalaharry (11/2), Sunny Destination (6/1), Silk Or Scarlet (7/1), Loch Linnhe (15/2), Champagne Chaser (10/1), Misfits (12/1), Another Mattie (14/1), Top Billing (14/1), Madam Cloud (14/1), Donnas Dream (20/1), Skyhill (33/1), Overtheedge (50/1)

An interesting handicap hurdle. Speedy Cargo should give a good account under topweight, while Champagne Chaser is unlikely to have been sent all this way for the travel experience, so he may be capable of returning to better form. Kalaharry and Sunny Destination are both of interest, while recent course winner Petite Ganache and the handicap debutante Madam Cloud are very much respected. However, the suggestion is SILK OR SCARLET, who can make the step up to 3m a successful one.