15:10 Newcastle

Tuesday 28 January 2020

All13:1013:4014:1014:4015:1015:4016:10

Ramside Hall Handicap Chase

Off time: 15:10 | Winning time: 4m 27.8s

Sword Of Fate⁵⁰

Age: 7| Weight: 12-5| J: Sam Coltherd⁽³⁾| T: L Kerr| OR: 107| D

33/1

Won twice in quick succession over fences for Tom Lacey (2m3½f-2m5f) during the summer of 2018; has fallen steadily in the weights since joining Leonard Kerr (some 18lb or so); very hard to fancy off top-weight.

Form: P-FPP74

Dunly^b⁸^{(ex 7)}

Age: 7| Weight: 12-1| J: B S Hughes| T: J Ewart| OR: 96| CD

5/4

Followed up his Ayr win when scoring with a degree of ease over C&D last week (beat Maxed Out King by 9L); the Ewart horses are finding their feet of late; looks tough to stop in retained blinkers under a 7lb penalty.

Form: 686-511

Bleu Et Noir^h³¹

Age: 9| Weight: 11-12| J: Charlie Price⁽⁵⁾| T: Tim Vaughan| OR: 100| D

10/1

No win over obstacles since August 2016 (2m1f novices' hurdle at Newton Abbot); has plummeted in the weights as a result; only fifth of nine to Ouro Branco on chasing debut at Catterick (1m7½f, soft) over the festive period.

Form: 3P-6705

What's The Scoop²⁴

Age: 10| Weight: 11-12| J: Danny Cook| T: J Parkinson & S Smith| OR: 100| BF

11/2

13-race maiden (0-6 over fences); ran his best race for Sue Smith when runner-up to Pinch Of Ginger over 2m4f here (soft) earlier this month; had previously finished fourth (just in front of Bleu Et Noir) at Catterick over the festive period.

Form: 0-P4442

Uno Valoroso³⁸

Age: 12| Weight: 11-5| J: Jamie Hamilton| T: M Walford| OR: 93| CD

16/1

Veteran; reasonably consistent, albeit hasn't won since scoring over fences at Bangor (2m1½f, soft) in December 2017; weakened after racing prominently in a spin over hurdles here (2m) immediately prior to Christmas.

Form: 23-6346

Voila Eric^b²⁸

Age: 8| Weight: 11-4| J: Brendan Powell| T: M Scudamore| OR: 92

15/2

Eight-race maiden (0-2 over fences); was in contention until weakening from the third last fence at Warwick (2m4f, soft) on New Year's Eve - finished 23¼L fifth to Manofthemoment; could feasibly appreciate dropping back to 2m.

Form: 0569-P5

Carlingford Prince²²

Age: 11| Weight: 10-11| J: Harry Reed⁽³⁾| T: T Reed| OR: 85

14/1

Left in a remote fourth to Dunly (Ripstick third) on comeback run at Ayr (2m, heavy) three weeks ago; is very lightly raced for his age (just seven starts) so presumably has had any number of problems.

Form: 46/76-44

Ripstick²²

Age: 9| Weight: 10-8| J: C O'Farrell| T: J Walton| OR: 82| D

11/2

Broke his duck under rules at the 14th attempt when justifying favouritism at Sedgefield (2m+, soft) on Boxing Day - beat Roxyfet by 2¼L; soon beaten (third) behind Dunly at Ayr subsequently; place possibilities.

Form: 375213

Frankie Ballou^p,t³³

Age: 11| Weight: 10-7| J: Ryan Mania| T: Miss J E Foster| OR: 81| D

14/1

Won three times at Sedgefield (2m+ soft to heavy) during the early months of 2018 and has emerged from a spell in the doldrums in marginally better form of late; has plenty of work to do with Ripstick on the basis of Boxing Day Sedgefield form.

Form: P4-PF34

Forecasts

Dunly (5/4), What's The Scoop (11/2), Ripstick (11/2), Voila Eric (15/2), Bleu Et Noir (10/1), Frankie Ballou (14/1), Carlingford Prince (14/1), Uno Valoroso (16/1), Sword Of Fate (33/1)

Former Nicky Henderson inmate What's The Scoop ran his best race to date for Sue Smith when finishing runner-up over 2m4f here (soft) earlier this month, while a possible value-based each-way angle is offered via the dropped-in-trip eight-year-old Voila Eric (Michael Scudamore). However, in seeking the winner simplicity is key and it's difficult to oppose the hat-trick seeking DUNLY for the in-form Langholm trainer James Ewart.