15:55 Newcastle

Monday 29 April 2019

All14:2014:5015:2015:5516:2517:0017:30

Border Minstrel Handicap

Off time: 15:55 | Winning time: 2m 10.64s

(9)

Diodorus^p³⁴⁶

Age: 5| Weight: 9-7| J: P J McDonald| T: Karen McLintock| OR: 85

14/1

Ex Aidan O'Brien; absent since racing at Hamilton Park (1m4f) in May 2018; has made just the three AW starts for local trainer Karen McLintock, easing a combined total of 7lb in the weights; difficult to assess on return to action.

Form: 314/468-

(2)

Zabeel Star¹⁸

Age: 7| Weight: 9-5| J: Jason Hart| T: Karen McLintock| OR: 83| C| D

16/1

Stablemate of Diodorus; made a positive impression over hurdles at Carlisle in the early weeks of the 2018/19 jumps season; lightly-raced since, finishing over 13L fifth to Grandee on return to action over C&D 18-days ago.

Form: 34055-5

(7)

Alfa McGuire²¹

Age: 4| Weight: 9-4| J: S H James| T: Phillip Makin| OR: 82

8/1

AW debutante; 2-12 on turf with both of those wins coming over the 7½f trip on the Westwood at Beverley; with Bryan Smart when finishing down the field at Royal Ascot in 2018 (1m Britannia Handicap); easing in the weights for his new trainer.

Form: 24070-9

(8)

Addis Ababa¹⁸

Age: 4| Weight: 9-4| J: D Tudhope| T: D O'Meara| OR: 82| BF

11/4

Made a winning debut at odds of 9/2 over 1m at Ayr (good to firm) in June 2018; consistent since (1m-1m2f), albeit soon outpaced when finishing almost 8L third to Grandee over C&D latest.

Form: 12238-3

(6)

Super Kid^t¹⁶

Age: 7| Weight: 9-2| J: Rachel Richardson| T: T D Easterby| OR: 80| D

16/1

Returned from a lengthy absence around this time in 2018, standing plenty of racing since (16 starts); falling in the weights and this race looks far less competitive than on seasonal reappearance (1m4f, Thirsk); of some interest at a price.

Form: 54468-6

(1)

Employer¹⁸

Age: 4| Weight: 9-2| J: Phil Dennis| T: J S Goldie| OR: 80

14/1

1m Windsor novice winner for Hugo Palmer (May 2018); ran well on debut for Jim Goldie at Doncaster recently when finishing a keeping on 40/1 second to Stonific (1m2f); holds similar claims to Addis Ababa and Zabeel Star judged upon C&D form.

Form: 6369-24

(4)

Harbour Breeze¹⁶

Age: 4| Weight: 9-1| J: G Lee| T: L Wadham| OR: 79

4/1

Lightly-raced; finished third over the extended mile in a Wolverhampton novice (5/6f) last month; tailed-off on handicap debut at Newbury (1m2f); needs to bounce back at a more realistic level.

Form: 5/3-30

(3)

Tamreer^h²

Age: 4| Weight: 9-0| J: Dane O'Neill| T: R Fell & S Murray| OR: 78| D

16/1

1m2f Salisbury debut winner (fillies' novice) for Charles Hills in May 2018; sold for 8,000gns in December 2018; close-up third on stable debut over C&D (novice); failed to progress on handicap debut at Haydock on Saturday.

Form: 17-39

(5)

Merweb¹³¹

Age: 4| Weight: 8-11| J: David Egan| T: H Main| OR: 75| C

9/4

Progressive since joining Heather Main from John Gosden for 17,000gns in July 2018; career best when a deserving winner of a Class 5 handicap (2/1f) over the straight mile here in December; 4lb higher over a new trip.

Form: 43221-

Forecasts

Merweb (9/4), Addis Ababa (11/4), Harbour Breeze (4/1), Alfa McGuire (8/1), Employer (14/1), Diodorus (14/1), Zabeel Star (16/1), Tamreer (16/1), Super Kid (16/1)

An open race without a standout contender with the likes of Addis Ababa, Employer and Zabeel Star all closely matched on the evidence of a recent C&D clash, whilst the top-weight Diodorous looks difficult to assess. It's entirely possible that the progressive Merweb can continue to thrive for Heather Main and cope with both a step up in trip and grade, but at the forecast odds we'll take a real chance on the Tim Easterby-trained 7yo SUPER KID. He made his seasonal reappearance in a very competitive 1m4f handicap at Thirsk (wasn't disgraced at odds of 50/1) and could make the most of a downward-spiralling handicap mark imminently.