15:05 Newcastle

Friday 17 November 2023

All13:2013:5514:3015:0515:4016:1516:5017:2017:52

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Off time: 15:05 | Winning time: 3m 37.71s

(5)

Balhambar^p¹⁶

Age: 4| Weight: 10-4| J: L Morris| T: M L W Bell| OR: 82

12/1

5/1 and cheekpieces on for 1st time, shaped with encouragement on first outing since leaving Sir Michael Stoute (35,000 gns) after 5 months off when fifth of 11 in handicap at Kempton (12f) 16 days ago. Significantly up in trip. One to consider.

Form: 310-345

(3)

Aqwaam¹⁰^{(ex 5)}

Age: 5| Weight: 10-3| J: K T O'Neill| T: Ian Williams| OR: 76

3/1

6/4, career best when easily winning 6-runner handicap at Chelmsford City (14f) 10 days ago. He remains relatively unexposed on all-weather and should go very close under a 5 lb penalty.

Form: 242021

(7)

Sarsons Risk^t¹⁷³

Age: 4| Weight: 10-2| J: D C Costello| T: B Brookhouse| OR: 80

17/2

Third of 5 in handicap hurdle (11/8) at Uttoxeter (15.8f, good to soft) 6 months ago, failing to see his race out here under a typically attacking ride. Fairly useful on Flat, down the field in Heritage handicap at Newmarket on last outing. Interesting.

Form: 8112-60

(8)

Pons Aelius⁴⁸

Age: 4| Weight: 10-0| J: F Norton| T: C Johnston| OR: 78| D

11/2

Latest win at Goodwood in June. 20/1, failed to get home faced with an extreme test when sixth of 9 in handicap at Chester (18.6f, heavy) just under 7 weeks ago.

Form: 145746

(10)

Animato^p1¹⁷

Age: 4| Weight: 9-13| J: D Nolan| T: D O'Meara| OR: 77

12/1

4/1 and visored for 1st time, bit below form third of 6 in handicap at Catterick (12.1f, heavy) 17 days ago, beaten when hanging left under 2f out. Significantly back up in trip. Makes all-weather debut. Cheekpieces on 1st time.

Form: 862433

(1)

Award Dancer¹⁸

Age: 5| Weight: 9-12| J: S H James| T: Grant Tuer| OR: 76| BF| C

40/1

Course winner. Latest win at Redcar in October. 5/2, shaped as if amiss when last of 11 in handicap at this course (12.4f) 18 days ago, finding nothing. Significantly up in trip.

Form: 403410

(9)

Mukha Magic^b,t³⁹

Age: 7| Weight: 9-7| J: George Bass⁽³⁾| T: Miss Gay Kelleway| OR: 71| D

28/1

66/1, ran poorly back in his usual headgear when last of 9 in handicap at Pontefract (18f, good to soft) 39 days ago. Best watched at present.

Form: 432759

(6)

Haaland^p²⁸

Age: 3| Weight: 9-7| J: R Havlin| T: Miss Gay Kelleway| OR: 78| CD

7/4

6/1 and cheekpieces on for 1st time, career best when winning 9-runner handicap at this C&D 4 weeks ago, suited by increase in trip. Enters calculations raised 7 lb.

Form: 135631

(4)

Valley Of Flowers^h¹⁸

Age: 5| Weight: 9-6| J: Joanna Mason| T: Samantha & Jacqueline Coward| OR: 70| CD

14/1

C&D winner in October. 4 wins from 13 runs this year. Creditable sixth of 11 in handicap (7/2) at this course (12.4f) 18 days ago, travelling throughout the contest as though still in good nick. Significantly back up in trip.

Form: 411136

(2)

Ebony Maw¹⁷

Age: 6| Weight: 8-13| J: P J McDonald| T: Ewan Whillans| OR: 63| D

25/1

16/1, won 11-runner handicap at Catterick (15.9f, heavy) 17 days ago, always holding on. 3 lb higher but others more persuasive faced with contrasting conditions.

Form: 532131

Forecasts

Haaland (7/4), Aqwaam (3/1), Pons Aelius (11/2), Sarsons Risk (17/2), Animato (12/1), Balhambar (12/1), Valley Of Flowers (14/1), Ebony Maw (25/1), Mukha Magic (28/1), Award Dancer (40/1)

This can go the way of the penalised AQWAAM, who produced a career best when easily winning at Chelmsford 10 days ago and Ian Williams' 5-y-o remains relatively unexposed on a synthetic surface. Second choice is sole 3-y-o Haaland, who relished a further step up in trip when scoring over C&D 4 weeks ago, with Balhambar and Animato taken to battle out minor honours.