15:40 Newcastle

Tuesday 28 January 2020

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

Equine Products Amateur Riders' Handicap Hurdle (Div 1)

Off time: 15:40 | Winning time: 6m 2.90s

Oscar Maguire²⁸

Age: 7| Weight: 12-0| J: Mr James King| T: O Murphy| OR: 102| BF

2/1

Stayed on strongly when shedding the maiden tag at Uttoxeter (2m7½f, good) in July; was narrowly beaten from a revised mark by the game Aniknam on return to action four weeks ago; key player despite a 2lb rise.

Form: 887-312

Show And Go^p,t¹⁸

Age: 11| Weight: 11-12| J: Mr William Easterby| T: C Grant| OR: 100

50/1

Veteran; seemingly in steady decline (once a reasonably proficient chaser for Henry De Bromhead); 100-1 when fourth of six to Instant Replay over fences at Sedgefield (2m3½f, soft) 18 days ago.

Form: 0-46484

Aengus^t,v²⁸

Age: 10| Weight: 11-12| J: Mr Lyall Hodgins⁽⁷⁾| T: J Candlish| OR: 100

13/2

Doesn't win very often but did make the frame (beaten 7L) at Hexham (2m7½f, heavy) on his penultimate start; has plenty of work to do with Oscar Maguire on New Year's Eve form at Uttoxeter.

Form: 33P636

Pinch Of Ginger²⁴

Age: 9| Weight: 11-11| J: Abbie McCain| T: D McCain Jnr| OR: 99| C

4/1

Kept on strongly when beating What's The Scoop (runs earlier) over fences here (2m4f, soft) earlier this month - had previously been awarded a race at Catterick; can he exploit a much more favourable hurdles mark in his hat-trick bid?

Form: 2P-2211

Top Billing^p²⁶

Age: 11| Weight: 11-9| J: Miss Josie Elliot⁽⁷⁾| T: N G Richards| OR: 97

33/1

Now rated 1lb lower than when beating stablemate Western Rules by 6L at Carlisle (3m½f, heavy) in December 2018; ran far better than the bare finishing position implies at Ayr 26 days ago (form handsomely franked since).

Form: 7050-P5

Leverock Lass²²

Age: 7| Weight: 11-8| J: Harrison Beswick| T: T Reed| OR: 96

8/1

Sprung a 25-1 surprise when winning a mares' novices' hurdle at Ayr (2m4f+, good to soft) in January 2019; is probably flattered by that bare form with the 1-14f Queens Cave running deplorably; others readily preferred.

Form: 17105-4

The Pine Martin⁴⁷

Age: 10| Weight: 11-0| J: Mr James Waggott⁽⁷⁾| T: Micky Hammond| OR: 88

33/1

Productive for Micky Hammond at Hexham (2m, good) during the spring of 2017; off the track for 2½ years until reappearing here last month; his progress can only be monitored.

Form: U3612/0

Seapoint^p⁴⁷

Age: 6| Weight: 10-13| J: Amie Waugh| T: Miss J E Foster| OR: 87

4/1

32-race maiden; was flattered by her proximity to the winner Starplex (made a stopping mistake at the final flight) over an extended 2m4f here (soft) 47 days ago; 2lb higher; holds realistic place prospects.

Form: 6-43732

Shimba Hills^p,t¹⁵

Age: 9| Weight: 10-8| J: Mrs Izzie Hill⁽⁷⁾| T: Mrs L Hill| OR: 82

6/1

Took advantage of a sharp ease in the weights when ploughing through the mud at Lingfield (2m3½f, heavy) a fortnight ago - beat the unexposed Little Red Lion by 4L; a 7lb rise is neither here nor there; second ever Newcastle runner for Lawney Hill.

Form: U63P31

Forecasts

Oscar Maguire (2/1), Seapoint (4/1), Pinch Of Ginger (4/1), Shimba Hills (6/1), Aengus (13/2), Leverock Lass (8/1), The Pine Martin (33/1), Top Billing (33/1), Show And Go (50/1)

Reasonably competitive for the grade with the southern-based raiders Oscar Maguire and SHIMBA HILLS book-ending the handicap. The former was narrowly beaten by the heavily supported and game Aniknam (beaten since) on his return to action at Uttoxeter on New Year's Eve, while the latter ploughed through the mud to beat an unexposed David Pipe-trained runner at Lingfield Park (2m3½f) a fortnight ago. The selection remains well-handicapped despite a 7lb rise and is a noteworthy Newcastle runner for the Oxon-based handler Lawney Hill (second ever runner at the track). Others worthy of consideration include the hat-trick seeking Pinch of Ginger and the 32-race maiden Seapoint.