18:35 Newcastle

Friday 28 June 2019

All17:3018:0018:3519:0519:4020:1520:50

Betfair Exchange Gosforth Park Cup Handicap

Off time: 18:36 | Winning time: 58.60s

(10)

Copper Knight^t²⁷

Age: 5| Weight: 9-12| J: D Allan| T: T D Easterby| OR: 105| CD

10/3

Rated 12lb higher than when making all and running out an impressive winner of this prestigious contest in 2018; in tip-top form on the Knavesmire at York during May (1,3); eased when beaten (12th of 19) in the Epsom Dash latest.

Form: 1-42130

(5)

Encore d'Or²⁰

Age: 7| Weight: 9-10| J: Dylan Hogan⁽⁵⁾| T: R M H Cowell| OR: 103| CD

12/1

Winner of 11 of his 45 career starts; finished well down the field when last contesting this race back in 2016; beat Ornate by a neck in a FTQ over C&D in January and was firmly in the mix (third) at Chelmsford (5f) latest.

Form: 2-16603

(4)

Merhoob²⁰

Age: 7| Weight: 9-9| J: B A Curtis| T: J Ryan| OR: 102| D

9/1

Evidently is stronger on AW (6-24) than on turf (2-20), although is anything but a regular competitor at Gosforth Park; 4lb higher than when beating today's rival Copper Knight on the Roodeye at Chester (5f, good to soft) in May.

Form: 227310

(14)

Foolaad^t⁴³

Age: 8| Weight: 9-6| J: R Winston| T: S R Bowring| OR: 99| C| D

4/1

Beaten just ¾L by Outrage over C&D in January, but that was the highlight of his winter AW campaign; much sharper of late on turf (1372); 1lb higher than when beaten 1L by today's rival Copper Knight at York (5f, good to firm) in May.

Form: 401372

(3)

Dakota Gold²⁴⁴

Age: 5| Weight: 9-4| J: Connor Beasley| T: M Dods| OR: 97| D

16/1

Well beaten (11th of 14) in this contest in 2018 and that represents his sole AW start to date; 7lb higher than when making all to beat Tarboosh at Haydock (5f, good to soft) last September; very tough task off a 244 day absence.

Form: 346100-

(8)

Tarboosh²⁰

Age: 6| Weight: 9-4| J: K Stott| T: P T Midgley| OR: 97| D

10/1

Has done the bulk of his winning on turf (8-24), enjoying a productive 2018 by winning four-times over the minimum trip, including in a massive field at Doncaster in October (5/1f); has contested Conditions, Listed & Group races so far in 2019.

Form: 221-383

(12)

Makanah²⁷

Age: 4| Weight: 9-3| J: P Mulrennan| T: Miss J A Camacho| OR: 96| D

9/1

Fast improving sprinter (4-14) who has risen a combined total of 16lb in the weights during three starts in 2019 (121); 7lb higher than when beating Primo's Comet by 2¼L at Musselburgh (5f, good to soft) four weeks ago; 0-4 on AW.

Form: 265-121

(13)

Moonraker¹³⁰

Age: 7| Weight: 9-2| J: Alistair Rawlinson| T: M Appleby| OR: 95| D

28/1

If you delve back into his form for Mick Channon, this 7yo has run some decent races at this track (over 6f). However, he has developed into more of a Southwell specialist (5f) in recent times; a tough mark off a four month absence.

Form: 59-1318

(9)

El Hombre⁹²

Age: 5| Weight: 8-13| J: P Hanagan| T: K Dalgleish| OR: 92| BF| C| D

20/1

Twice placed in Class 3 C&D handicaps during the autumn/winter months, and was still reasonably productive when last in action from an elevated mark at Wolverhampton (6f) in March; potentially out of his depth at this level.

Form: 13-8243

(6)

Blue De Vega^p,t¹⁸

Age: 6| Weight: 8-12| J: Jim Crowley| T: R M H Cowell| OR: 91| D

18/1

Stablemate of Encore D'Or; kept busy since early April (this will be his seventh start), but is holding his form very well; got the fast pace that he needs but not those all important breaks when a rapidly closing third to Ornate in the Epsom Dash.

Form: 284534

(1)

Eeh Bah Gum²⁷

Age: 4| Weight: 8-9| J: Jamie Gormley| T: T D Easterby| OR: 88| D

10/1

Rattled through the grades last summer winning five times on turf (all 5f) on quick ground; has taken the step up into better races in his stride and has previous with Copper Knight (York) and Blue De Vega (Epsom); sole AW start came on Polytrack.

Form: 17-0484

(2)

Line Of Reason²⁷

Age: 9| Weight: 8-9| J: Barry McHugh| T: P T Midgley| OR: 88| CD

20/1

Rated 12lb lower than when winning this contest under Oisin Murphy in 2017, but as his more recent form testifies he isn't quite the force of old; has plenty to do with a number of these rivals on the basis of Epsom Dash form.

Form: 30-2500

(11)

Fool For You¹²

Age: 4| Weight: 8-9| J: P J McDonald| T: R A Fahey| OR: 88| D

14/1

Runner up on sole C&D start (novice) in May 2018; improved significantly during the second half of her 3yo season, notably chasing home today's rival Eeh Bah Gum at York (5f); the suspicion is that Class 2 handicaps are just beyond her capabilities.

Form: 213-603

Non-Runners

(7)

Puds²¹

Weight: 8-11| Age: 4

T: R Hughes J: Non Runner

Forecasts

Copper Knight (10/3), Foolaad (4/1), Puds (7/1), Makanah (9/1), Merhoob (9/1), Eeh Bah Gum (10/1), Tarboosh (10/1), Encore d'Or (12/1), Fool For You (14/1), Dakota Gold (16/1), Blue De Vega (18/1), El Hombre (20/1), Line Of Reason (20/1), Moonraker (28/1)

A cracking renewal of the Gosforth Park Cup. Defending champion Copper Knight has flourished since taking this contest from a 12lb lower mark in 2018, and has been in tip-top form on the Knavesmire at York in May beating both Foolaad and Eeh Bah Gum. The fast improving four-year-old's Makanah and Puds are impossible to rule out of contention such has been their level of progression, but this represents a sterner test. Robert Cowell holds a strong hand with C&D winner Encore D'or a possible. However, with the Epsom Dash holding plenty of clues, it is his well-handicapped stablemate BLUE DE VEGA who gets the nod in anticipation of a 'burn-up'.