12:20 Newcastle

Saturday 1 July 2023

All12:2012:5513:3014:0514:4015:1515:5016:25

JenningsBet Festival Handicap

Off time: 12:20 | Winning time: 1m 13.53s

(8)

Coachello³⁵

Age: 5| Weight: 10-2| J: O J Orr| T: G Elliott| OR: 104| D

9/1

Latest win at Meydan in January. 16/1, 13¾ lengths last of 8 to Art Power in Greenlands Stakes at the Curragh (6f, good) 35 days ago. Sights lowered now switched to tapeta but looks vulnerable under top-weight all the same.

Form: 761038

Image of Stars that are filled with the colour gold

(6)

Lethal Levi⁷

Age: 4| Weight: 9-11| J: C Lee| T: K R Burke| OR: 99| D

5/1

Six wins from 21 Flat runs. 20/1, below form fifteenth of 27 in handicap at Royal Ascot (6f, good to firm) 7 days ago. Good second at York prior to that and big player if able to reproduce that form on AW debut.

Form: 196-020

(1)

Aleezdancer⁴⁵

Age: 4| Weight: 9-10| J: N Callan| T: K A Ryan| OR: 98| D

11/1

Five wins from 19 Flat runs. Latest win at Doncaster in April. 25/1, respectable tenth of 21 in handicap at York (6f, firm) 45 days ago. Held by Lethal Levi on that evidence.

Form: 303-160

(7)

Magical Spirit^p⁴⁵

Age: 7| Weight: 9-9| J: T Eaves| T: K A Ryan| OR: 97| CD

14/1

C&D winner. Latest win at Doncaster in April. 33/1, creditable third of 21 in handicap at York (6f, firm) 45 days ago, finishing 1½ lengths adrift of the second, Lethal Levi. Each-way shout.

Form: 04-0413

(5)

Tiger Crusade¹¹²

Age: 6| Weight: 9-9| J: Callum Shepherd| T: D M Simcock| OR: 97| BF| D

10/1

Six wins from 23 Flat runs. 2 wins from 4 runs this year, the latest at Lingfield in February. 6/4, below form sixth of 10 in handicap at Chelmsford City (7f), unable to sustain effort. Off 112 days and needs to raise his game a touch.

Form: 40-1316

(3)

Soldier's Minute^h¹⁴

Age: 8| Weight: 9-9| J: J Fanning| T: K Dalgleish| OR: 97| D

14/1

Respectable fourth of 15 in handicap (11/1) at York (6f, good to firm) 14 days ago, finishing well. 12 lb higher back on the AW but he possesses a good strike rate on synthetics (5-20) and is certainly capable of a bold show.

Form: 2-90544

(4)

Raatea^p,h²¹

Age: 6| Weight: 9-5| J: Jason Hart| T: Miss J A Camacho| OR: 93| CD

7/2

C&D winner. Cheekpieces on for 1st time, won 12-runner handicap at Haydock (6f, firm, 13/2) 21 days ago, driven out. 3 lb rise fair enough and he has to be taken seriously.

Form: 0464-51

(9)

Batal Dubai²⁶

Age: 3| Weight: 8-8| J: Oisin Murphy| T: H & R Charlton| OR: 88| CD

7/2

Lightly-raced C&D winner. Seventh of 11 in handicap at Windsor (6f, good to firm, 9/1) 26 days ago, finishing with running left. Booking of Murphy a plus and should give a good account with that run under his belt.

Form: 1317-7

(2)

Animate^p²⁴

Age: 3| Weight: 8-7| J: Andrea Atzeni| T: S Crisford| OR: 87| C

6/1

Course winner. 1 win from 3 runs this year. Cheekpieces on for 1st time, creditable third of 10 in handicap at Kempton (7f, 7/1) 24 days ago. Needs to take a step forward here.

Form: 314-613

Forecasts

Batal Dubai (7/2), Raatea (7/2), Lethal Levi (5/1), Animate (6/1), Coachello (9/1), Tiger Crusade (10/1), Aleezdancer (11/1), Soldier's Minute (14/1), Magical Spirit (14/1)

RAATEA bagged this prize 12 months ago and is taken to repeat the dose on the back of his Haydock success 3 weeks ago, for which a 3 lb rise is hardly prohibitive. Next on the list is Soldier's Minute, who shaped as though coming to hand at York a fortnight ago and the return to the all-weather will be no bad thing for this 8-y-o. Lethal Levi was down the field in the Wokingham last weekend but also performed well at York prior to that and will be a threat if taking to this surface.