15:45 Newcastle

Monday 1 January 2024

All14:0014:3515:1015:4516:1516:4517:15

BetMGM: It's Showtime Handicap

Off time: 15:47 | Winning time: 1m 39.58s

(4)

Tempus²⁶

Age: 8| Weight: 9-12| J: Hollie Doyle| T: A Watson| OR: 105| CD

8/1

C&D winner. Seven wins from 23 Flat runs. Respectable 1¾ lengths second of 9 to Grey's Monument in listed race (15/2) at Kempton (8f) 26 days ago.

Form: 464572-

(8)

Helm Rock^t¹⁸

Age: 6| Weight: 9-6| J: J Mitchell| T: D & C Kubler| OR: 99| CD

9/2

C&D winner. Latest win at Kempton in September. Creditable third of 8 in handicap at Chelmsford City (8f, 11/2) 18 days ago. Others more persuasive.

Form: 711503-

(12)

Symbol Of Light⁴²

Age: 5| Weight: 9-4| J: Tom Marquand| T: Miss J A Camacho| OR: 97| D

7/2

Won 3 of 4 starts for Charlie Appleby and best effort for this yard when very good third of 9 in handicap at Kempton (8f) 42 days ago, forced to switch and finished with running left. One to be interested in.

Form: 111/453-

(9)

Dear My Friend¹²⁹

7/2

C&D winner. Last of 11 in handicap (17/2) at York (7.9f, good to firm), slowly away. Off 129 days.

Form: 3/18000-

(6)

Lord Bertie¹⁸

Age: 4| Weight: 9-0| J: Billy Loughnane| T: Jane Chapple-Hyam| OR: 93| D

10/1

9/2, first run since leaving William Haggas when fifth of 8 in handicap at Chelmsford City (8f) 18 days ago. Makes tapeta debut.

Form: 31/1855-

(1)

Fantastic Fox¹⁸

Age: 6| Weight: 8-13| J: Aidan Keeley⁽³⁾| T: R Varian| OR: 92| CD

13/2

C&D winner. Latest win here in November. 7/2, respectable fourth of 8 in handicap at Chelmsford City (8f) 18 days ago, running on. Looks competitive on form.

Form: 505114-

(2)

Tropez Power¹⁸²

Age: 5| Weight: 8-13| J: Jason Hart| T: J & S Quinn| OR: 92| D

33/1

Sixth of 8 in handicap at Pontefract (8f, good, 4/1), folding. Off 6 months. Has done most of his winning on the AW (3-8 on synthetics, versus 1-15 on turf), so respected back on this surface.

Form: 280226-

(3)

Woodstock City²⁷

Age: 4| Weight: 8-11| J: K T O'Neill| T: Ian Williams| OR: 90

33/1

Latest win at Deauville in August. First run since leaving Christopher Head when third of 8 in handicap at Wolverhampton (8.6f, 20/1) on UK debut 27 days ago.

Form: 145133-

(10)

Master Zoffany^p²³

Age: 6| Weight: 8-11| J: Cam Hardie| T: R A Fahey| OR: 90| C| D

14/1

16/1, career best when winning 10-runner handicap at this course (7.1f) 23 days ago, suited by emphasis on speed. Can make presence felt.

Form: 417541-

(7)

Chuzzlewit²³

Age: 4| Weight: 8-10| J: T Eaves| T: K A Ryan| OR: 89

18/1

13/2, good 2¾ lengths fourth of 10 to Master Zoffany in handicap at this course (7.1f) 23 days ago, well positioned.

Form: 71/5004-

(5)

Ron O³⁸

Age: 6| Weight: 8-8| J: Mark Winn⁽³⁾| T: R Craggs| OR: 87| CD

16/1

C&D winner. Four wins from 14 runs last year. Career best when winning 11-runner handicap at Southwell (8.1f, 6/1) 38 days ago. This tougher.

Form: 125471-

(13)

Light Speed⁶

Age: 4| Weight: 8-8| J: Harry Davies| T: A M Balding| OR: 87| BF| C

14/1

Lightly-raced winner. Course winner. Three wins from 5 runs last year. Latest win at Lingfield in December. Last of 8 in handicap at Wolverhampton (9.5f, 5/2) 6 days ago. Has work to do.

Form: 61118-

Non-Runners

(11)

Urban Sprawl¹²

Weight: 8-9| Age: 4

T: C Johnston J: A Mullen

(14)

Gincident²

Weight: 8-6| Age: 4

T: R A Fahey J: Tyler Heard

Forecasts

Dear My Friend (7/2), Symbol Of Light (7/2), Helm Rock (9/2), Fantastic Fox (13/2), Tempus (8/1), Lord Bertie (10/1), Master Zoffany (14/1), Light Speed (14/1), Ron O (16/1), Urban Sprawl (16/1), Chuzzlewit (18/1), Gincident (25/1), Tropez Power (33/1), Woodstock City (33/1)

SYMBOL OF LIGHT was unlucky not to win at Kempton 6 weeks ago and can make amends off the same mark. Master Zoffany arrives on the back of a career-best win here so is next best ahead of Fantastic Fox, who wasn't seen to best effect when going for the hat-trick at Chelmsford.