15:20 Newcastle

Thursday 16 February 2023

All13:0013:3514:1014:4515:2015:5516:30

quinnbet.com Mares' Handicap Hurdle

Off time: 15:20 | Winning time: 5m 57.11s

Aazza³⁷

Age: 7| Weight: 11-13| J: Dylan Johnston⁽⁷⁾| T: R Dobbin| OR: 103| D

11/4

Bolted up in a conditional jockeys' event at Doncaster (3m) just over 3 weeks ago. Handicapper reacted with a hefty 13 lb rise but she's still relatively low mileage and may well take a bit of stopping if showing up in similar form.

Form: 5-3U421

Lone Star^t²

Age: 6| Weight: 11-2| J: Joe Williamson⁽⁵⁾| T: P A Kirby| OR: 92| C

4/5

Off the mark over 2½m here on Boxing Day and continued good work since, runner-up to a next-time-out winner at Market Rasen (20.6f) prior to scoring with ease at Ayr (20.5f) on Tuesday. Goes unpenalized here and leading claims again.

Form: 524121

Fiadh²¹

Age: 7| Weight: 11-1| J: B S Hughes| T: C Grant| OR: 91| C

11/1

Bumper/mares' maiden hurdle winner but found the going tough despite a sliding mark in handicaps losing place 5 out and beaten quickly at Wetherby (19.7f) 3 weeks ago. Brian Hughes again in the plate now upped in trip.

Form: 7478-8P

Silver Coin¹¹⁷

Age: 6| Weight: 10-8| J: Jamie Hamilton| T: Ruth Jefferson| OR: 84

12/1

Hinted at ability in a bumper/first two starts over hurdles (both at 2½m). Probably best not judged too harshly on her handicap debut effort (upped markedly in trip) at Kelso in October but she will need to jump better than she did then back from a break.

Form: 7-440

Shesupincourt¹⁴

Age: 6| Weight: 10-4| J: Dylan Kitts⁽⁷⁾| T: R Potter| OR: 80

7/1

Filled runners-up spot for third successive start at Ffos Las (21.8f) last month, going like best horse at the weights and collared only last 50 yds. Jumping let her down at Fakenham (23.4f) 2 weeks ago but she's not dismissed out of hand for each-way purposes.

Form: 462225

Nairobi Girl^p³⁸

Age: 7| Weight: 10-2| J: P W Wadge⁽⁷⁾| T: F P Murtagh| OR: 53

80/1

Point bumper winner but hasn't made any impact under Rules to date, again well held equipped with first-time cheekpieces on qualifying hurdles run at Ayr (20.5f) in January. Plenty on her plate from miles out of the weights on handicap bow.

Form: 1-F68P5

Non-Runners

On We Go¹⁵

Weight: 12-0| Age: 10

T: G Boanas J: Sean Quinlan

Lady Bowes²

Weight: 12-0| Age: 9

T: James Moffatt J: Non Runner

Noble Affair¹¹¹

Weight: 11-2| Age: 7

T: Mrs J Walton J: Ryan Mania

Just Jess²⁰

Weight: 11-0| Age: 7

T: J Parkinson & S Smith J: Ross Chapman

Atomic Angel¹⁶

Weight: 10-13| Age: 8

T: S Corbett J: Sam Coltherd

Howzat Hiris⁴⁶

Weight: 10-2| Age: 6

T: Micky Hammond J: Joshua Thompson

Forecasts

Lone Star (4/5), Aazza (11/4), On We Go (5/1), Shesupincourt (7/1), Atomic Angel (10/1), Fiadh (11/1), Silver Coin (12/1), Just Jess (12/1), Lady Bowes (14/1), Howzat Hiris (50/1), Noble Affair (66/1), Nairobi Girl (80/1)

LONE STAR has been much improved of late, making it 2 wins from her last 3 starts with another commanding victory at Ayr on Tuesday and, unpenalized for that success, she earns the vote. That said, fellow last-time-out winner Aazza was impressive herself when scoring over this sort of trip at Doncaster in January and is a big threat, ahead of On We Go.