14:52 Newcastle

Thursday 8 December 2022

All12:1212:4213:1713:5214:2214:5215:22

Living North Live Handicap Hurdle

Off time: 14:56 | Winning time: 4m 6.09s

Copper Fox¹³²

Age: 5| Weight: 12-1| J: B S Hughes| T: D McCain Jnr| OR: 101| D

5/1

Didn't need to improve when winning mediocre Uttoxeter maiden in June and put in his place switched to handicap company in 2 subsequent starts. Will need to find improvement from somewhere if he's to emerge on top here.

Form: 2-23133

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Bottle Hill²⁷

Age: 6| Weight: 11-11| J: Sam Coltherd| T: W Coltherd| OR: 97| BF

20/1

Minor promise in 2 starts over hurdles for James Ewart last term and though well backed ahead of his return/chase debut for new yard at Southwell, he showed little aptitude for that game. Likely to struggle back in this sphere, too, off what looks a harsh mark.

Form: 5P/55-P

Russian Virtue⁵¹

Age: 5| Weight: 11-2| J: Nathan Moscrop| T: R Menzies| OR: 88

13/2

Regressed following promising debut in this sphere last term and he's winless following 21 starts on the Flat. However, he has posted several creditable efforts on the level this year and is interesting off a reduced mark now returned to hurdles.

Form: 266P-

Six One Nine³⁶

Age: 7| Weight: 11-1| J: Danny McMenamin| T: C Grant| OR: 87| CD

10/3

Successful over fences here in February and returned to form when runner-up in a Musselburgh handicap chase last month. Record in this sphere is hardly inspiring, though, and it's best to look elsewhere.

Form: 4-2F7F2

Bulls Aye¹⁰⁶

Age: 4| Weight: 11-0| J: C O'Farrell| T: I Jardine| OR: 86

22/1

Well below par on the Flat this year and while he wasn't entirely disgraced returned to hurdles in a Sedgefield novice in August, a step forward will be needed if he's to play a leading role on handicap debut in this sphere.

Form: 5P-4

Misty Mani¹⁶

Age: 7| Weight: 11-0| J: Tom Midgley⁽⁵⁾| T: P D Niven| OR: 86| D

7/1

Returned from a break in fine form during the summer, winning 3 on the bounce and by no means disgraced when fourth at Sedgefield in November. Likely he would've been placed but for unseating rider at the last at Southwell recently and not without each-way hope.

Form: 9-1114U

Archive⁶⁴

Age: 12| Weight: 10-11| J: Emma Smith-Chaston⁽³⁾| T: Suzzanne France| OR: 83| D

20/1

Best effort for a while when fourth at Hexham in June but, unsurprisingly, he has failed to back that up in 2 subsequent starts and losing run stretches back to 2019.

Form: 3/9-7458

My Macho Man^p,t²¹

Age: 5| Weight: 10-7| J: Bruce Lynn⁽³⁾| T: K Scott| OR: 79

5/2

Yet to taste success following 19 attempts over hurdles but there were certainly positives to glean from his effort in a C&D handicap on debut for new yard last month when 2 lb 'wrong' at the weights. Able to race off correct mark this time and merits respect.

Form: 348534

Zara's Universe¹⁶

Age: 6| Weight: 10-6| J: Conor Rabbitt⁽⁷⁾| T: A Crook| OR: 78

8/1

:Long-standing maiden who has several decent enough bits and pieces of form to her name but, chances are, she'll find one or two too good once again having unseated rider on recent seasonal reappearance at Sedgefield.

Form: 24255-U

More To Follow^h1²¹

Age: 5| Weight: 10-6| J: Ross Chapman| T: D Bourke| OR: 78

100/1

Showed little in two hurdling outings for Andrew Slattery and it's been a case of more of the same in as many starts for present yard. Now tried in a hood.

Form: 877P

Non-Runners

Bollingerandkrug⁴⁷

Weight: 12-0| Age: 7

T: Miss Lucinda V Russell J: D R Fox

Edgar Allan Poe²⁰

Weight: 11-10| Age: 8

T: J Parkinson & S Smith J: Thomas Willmott

Licit²¹

Weight: 11-10| Age: 5

T: T D Easterby J: Mr William Easterby

Charlie's Rockstar³⁴

Weight: 11-6| Age: 5

T: Mrs A C Hamilton J: Jamie Hamilton

Cornell¹³

Weight: 11-1| Age: 4

T: J J Davies J: Callum Bewley

Telhimlisten³⁶

Weight: 10-10| Age: 6

T: J Candlish J: Sean Quinlan

The Great Georgie²²

Weight: 10-8| Age: 7

T: Mrs J Stephen J: Craig Nichol

Forecasts

My Macho Man (5/2), Bollingerandkrug (3/1), Six One Nine (10/3), Copper Fox (5/1), Russian Virtue (13/2), Misty Mani (7/1), Zara's Universe (8/1), Licit (10/1), Telhimlisten (10/1), Edgar Allan Poe (14/1), Archive (20/1), Bottle Hill (20/1), Bulls Aye (22/1), Cornell (33/1), Charlie's Rockstar (33/1), The Great Georgie (50/1), More To Follow (100/1)

TELHIMLISTEN's reappearance effort at Musselburgh was encouraging with a view to this manoeuvre into handicap company and, with improvement anticipated, he may well be the answer. Having performed with credit over C&D starting out for this yard, My Macho Man is next on the list but Russian Virtue is also of interest.