16:40 Newcastle

Tuesday 21 January 2020

All16:0516:4017:1517:4518:1518:4519:15

Ladbrokes Where The Nation Plays Handicap

Off time: 16:42 | Winning time: 1m 43.8s

(1)

Red Jasper^v¹¹

Age: 3| Weight: 9-11| J: B A Curtis| T: M Appleby| OR: 62

6/1

Looks the most exposed in the line-up, but jockey booking is a positive. Posted a few quiet efforts of late, but his runner-up effort at Kempton four starts ago over this trip would give him claims. Difficult to know whether he will reproduce that.

Form: 65285-5

(6)

Perregrin²³

Age: 3| Weight: 9-11| J: Jason Hart| T: C & M Johnston| OR: 62| D

3/1

Arguably the one they have to beat after he made a winning transition to the handicap sphere when successful at Southwell (1m; standard) last month. Up just 4lb for that, but he is very unexposed so looks open to much more improvement.

Form: 3641-

(3)

Sunshine Fantasy¹⁸

Age: 3| Weight: 9-7| J: Hollie Doyle| T: A Watson| OR: 58

12/1

Yard/jockey combo enjoying a steady rate of success at present. However, this filly hasn't shown a great deal in novice company, so she needs to step up significantly on handicap debut. That isn't impossible given how poor a race this is on paper.

Form: 04-8

(7)

Fair Warning¹⁷

Age: 3| Weight: 9-5| J: Laura Pearson⁽⁷⁾| T: H Spiller| OR: 56

5/2

Has produced career-best efforts the last twice to finish runner-up over C&D, and then at Kempton (1m; standard to slow) recently when he was just denied. Only been raised 2lb for that effort, so holds major claims off finally getting off the mark.

Form: 08762-2

(4)

Brass Clankers^v¹⁸

Age: 3| Weight: 9-4| J: K T O'Neill| T: R Brisland| OR: 55

6/1

Still early days for him, but he hasn't stepped up that much for the switch to this sphere. His two fourth-placed efforts so far in handicaps at Southwell would suggest he needs to improve a fair bit to feature prominently here. Place claims.

Form: 7044-4

(5)

My Havana^p,t1⁸

Age: 3| Weight: 9-2| J: T Eaves| T: N Tinkler| OR: 53

33/1

The minimal level of progress he was making in handicaps stalled when he never figured on his return from a short break at Wolverhampton (1m; standard) last week. Can be readily opposed in a race where others have much more going for them.

Form: 77666-0

(2)

Aiden's Reward⁵⁶

Age: 3| Weight: 8-10| J: Harrison Shaw⁽³⁾| T: B Haslam| OR: 47

7/2

Five-race maiden who produced a pretty underwhelming effort when stepped up to 7f on just his second handicap start at Wolverhampton (7f; standard). Step up to 1m doesn't seem what he needs after that. Best watched with enough to prove.

Form: 97446-

Forecasts

Fair Warning (5/2), Perregrin (3/1), Aiden's Reward (7/2), Red Jasper (6/1), Brass Clankers (6/1), Sunshine Fantasy (12/1), My Havana (33/1)

This looks an uncompetitive affair, and the one with the most likeable profile is PERREGRIN who got off the mark at the fourth attempt when stepped up to this trip on his handicap debut at Southwell last month. He remains lightly raced and open to further improvement so gets the nod to follow-up that success. His main danger looks to be Fair Warning who went very close to shedding his maiden tag when beaten a neck at Kempton last time out, and he should be bang there again on that evidence. Away from the aforementioned pair, this is a poor event and so Sunshine Fantasy can finish in the placings on handicap debut and offer some encouragement for her career going forward.