15:35 Newcastle

Saturday 29 June 2019

All13:5014:2515:0015:3516:1016:4517:1517:50

Betfair Exchange Northumberland Plate Handicap (Heritage Handicap)

Off time: 15:37 | Winning time: 3m 33.14s

(2)

Mootasadir²²

Age: 4| Weight: 9-12| J: Dylan Hogan⁽⁵⁾| T: H Palmer| OR: 112

20/1

An unblemished 6-6 on the AW, but is yet to race at this particular track or win beyond 1m4f; has plenty of weight on his back just 22 days on from an unsuccessful jaunt to Belmont Park (USA); obvious stamina doubts.

Form: 11-1167

(19)

Austrian School¹⁴

Age: 4| Weight: 9-10| J: S De Sousa| T: C & M Johnston| OR: 110| BF

10/1

One of three horses to fly the flag for Middleham trainer Mark Johnston; hit and miss so far this season but holds a realistic chance if able to reproduce his third to stablemate Dee Ex Bee in Sandown's Group 3 Henry II Stakes; 1-2 on the AW.

Form: 23-1934

(4)

Red Galileo^h²¹^{(ex 5)}

Age: 8| Weight: 9-9| J: Thomas Greatrex⁽⁵⁾| T: S bin Suroor| OR: 104

12/1

Meydan regular; ultra-consistent in defeat throughout the 2019 Dubai Carnival; carries 5lb extra for beating Speedo Boy and Proschema at Newmarket (1m6f); a useful 5lb claimer negates the rise in the weights; the hood is unsurprisingly retained.

Form: 222871

(16)

Making Miracles¹⁴

Age: 4| Weight: 9-8| J: B A Curtis| T: C & M Johnston| OR: 108| D

28/1

Made most when a striking winner of the Chester Cup (2m2f, soft) in May; short of the mark in both subsequent starts (in Group 3 and Listed contests); needs to return to the very top of his game in order to attempt to make all here.

Form: 3-51146

(20)

Desert Skyline^p¹⁴

Age: 5| Weight: 9-7| J: Joshua Bryan⁽³⁾| T: D R C Elsworth| OR: 107

40/1

Hasn't raced on the AW since his debut; has ample ability as shown when winning the Group 2 Doncaster Cup (2m2f) in September 2017; hasn't fired on all cylinders for some considerable time hence the switch back to handicapping; opposed.

Form: 4458-55

(5)

Gibbs Hill⁷²⁴

Age: 6| Weight: 9-5| J: Andrea Atzeni| T: R Varian| OR: 105

5/1

Made rapid progress through the handicap ranks in 2017 (over 1m4f); off the track with injury since winning by an emphatic 7L at Kempton in July of that year; the major ante-post gamble after "pleasing in his recent work"; is likely to stay 2m.

Form: 221131/

(17)

Proschema²¹

Age: 4| Weight: 9-3| J: Jane Elliott⁽³⁾| T: Tom Dascombe| OR: 103

11/1

Consistent, albeit is yet to win even a single handicap; competes over 2m for the very first time (this race is also his AW debut) after finishing 3L third to Red Galileo (Speedo Boy second) over 1m6f at Newmarket three weeks ago.

Form: 382-683

(3)

Stratum^h³²

Age: 6| Weight: 9-2| J: Leigh Roche| T: W P Mullins| OR: 102| BF| D

9/2

Irish raider who carries the Tony Bloom silks; limbered up with a short odds hurdles win at Ballinrobe (2m, good); is feasibly weighted, just 6lb higher than when winning the 2m JLT Cup at Newbury last summer; has Ascot previous with Dubawi Fifty.

Form: 2/31000-

(18)

King's Advice³⁵

Age: 5| Weight: 9-1| J: P J McDonald| T: C & M Johnston| OR: 101

5/1

By Frankel; unbeaten in six starts (1m4f-1m6f) since joining Mark Johnston, rising a combined total of 30lb in the handicap; it appears that all racing surfaces come alike to this admirably tough and gritty 5yo; now faces his sternest test.

Form: 111111

(7)

Who Dares Wins^p⁵⁰

Age: 7| Weight: 9-1| J: Tom Marquand| T: A King| OR: 101| D

12/1

Stamina laden; without a win since taking the Cesarewitch Trial at Newmarket (2m2f) in September 2017; has made the frame in the last two renewals of the Chester Cup and meets Making Miracles on 7lb better terms; fine on Tapeta (1-2).

Form: 010/3-32

(11)

Aircraft Carrier^v1⁴³

Age: 4| Weight: 9-0| J: B Doyle| T: J Ryan| OR: 100

40/1

Won three on the bounce on the AW over the winter months (1m6f-2m), including a Wolverhampton AW Championships FTQ; comfortably out of his depth in the Group 2 Yorkshire Cup latest; a visor is applied from a career high handicap mark.

Form: 11-1468

(8)

Dubawi Fifty^p³⁷⁵

Age: 6| Weight: 9-0| J: L Morris| T: Karen McLintock| OR: 100| CD

14/1

The apple of local trainer Karen McLintock's eye; knows his way around Gosforth Park (dual course winner); finished fourth in the 2018 Chester Cup; ran a blinder when runner up in the 2m4f Ascot Stakes (Stratum third); off since: soft tissue injury.

Form: 4/11342-

(12)

Cohesion¹⁹

Age: 6| Weight: 8-13| J: S Donohoe| T: D G Bridgwater| OR: 99

66/1

Off the track for almost 18 months until returning to action at Chelmsford (1m6f) in May; didn't beat a single rival there, or at Leicester latest; an outsider who shouldn't be playing a hand in the finish; look elsewhere.

Form: 0427/45

(14)

Fearsome³⁷

Age: 5| Weight: 8-13| J: G Lee| T: N P Littmoden| OR: 99| D

80/1

AW proven (6-17), although it should be stressed that five of those six wins have come over 1m4f at Lingfield Park; has plenty to find with Austrian School/Making Miracles on Henry VII Stakes form (Sandown); first ever start at Newcastle; unlikely.

Form: 153455

(9)

Shabeeb⁵⁰

Age: 6| Weight: 8-12| J: P Hanagan| T: Ian Williams| OR: 98

33/1

Left Roger Varian as a three-time turf winner (1m2f-1m6f) for 58,000gns in July 2018; pulled up in testing conditions in the Chester Cup on debut for Ian Williams; trainer saddles three runners and this 6yo is probably the weakest link.

Form: 03/541-P

(6)

Bartholomeu Dias⁷¹

Age: 4| Weight: 8-12| J: K Shoemark| T: C Hills| OR: 98| C

14/1

Brought his AW record to 3-5 when beating Forbidden Planet by ½L over 1m4f here on Good Friday, and that form appears strong (third-placed Baghdad a Royal Ascot winner); 4lb higher; has previous with Kings Advice (1m6f); place chance if staying 2m.

Form: 5331-21

(1)

Cosmelli^b¹¹

Age: 6| Weight: 8-10| J: Daniel Muscutt| T: Miss Gay Kelleway| OR: 96| CD

33/1

Clung on grimly when beating Euchen Glen by a nose in the Northumberland Vase over C&D in 2018 (33/1); sneaks into the main event this time around from a 2lb higher mark; had a tough race in the Ascot Stakes (17th of 19) just 11 days ago.

Form: 562430

(13)

Speedo Boy²¹

Age: 5| Weight: 8-10| J: Jason Watson| T: Ian Williams| OR: 96| D

11/1

Represents a trainer with the midas touch in staying races (saddles three runners); finished a close up sixth of 33 in the 2018 Cesarewitch, and split both Red Galileo and Proschema at Newmarket latest (1m6f); remains competitively handicapped.

Form: 56-6672

(15)

Time To Study¹¹

Age: 5| Weight: 8-10| J: Kerrin McEvoy| T: Ian Williams| OR: 96

9/1

Didn't quite get home when finishing an admirable third to stablemate The Grand Visir in the Ascot Stakes (2m4f) but that was a definite improvement on Chester; with Mark Johnston when finishing sixth in this race in 2018 (off a 12lb higher mark).

Form: 009-883

Non-Runners

(10)

Withhold²⁴⁸

Weight: 9-7| Age: 6

T: H & R Charlton J: Non Runner

Forecasts

Stratum (9/2), King's Advice (5/1), Gibbs Hill (5/1), Withhold (13/2), Time To Study (9/1), Austrian School (10/1), Proschema (11/1), Speedo Boy (11/1), Who Dares Wins (12/1), Red Galileo (12/1), Dubawi Fifty (14/1), Bartholomeu Dias (14/1), Mootasadir (20/1), Making Miracles (28/1), Cosmelli (33/1), Shabeeb (33/1), Desert Skyline (40/1), Aircraft Carrier (40/1), Cohesion (66/1), Fearsome (80/1)

Sadly the 2018 winner Withhold is unable to defend his crown, but Tony Bloom has another strong chance with Stratum who didn't get the breaks when sent off 3/1f for last year's Ebor. The returning Gibbs Hill has been the talking horse, yet that ship has long since sailed and he represents no value at his current odds. Speedo Boy is the pick of the Ian Williams trio, while there are definite angles for Red Galileo and Bartholomeu Dias. However, the combination of a slow Tapeta surface and a truly run race could really bring the stamina of WHO DARES WINS into play. He has all of the required characteristics in his armoury to sample success.