14:50 Newcastle

Tuesday 15 January 2019

All12:4513:2013:5014:2014:5015:2015:50

Sky Sports Racing Virgin 535 Novices' Handicap Hurdle

Off time: 14:51 | Winning time: 4m 4.50s

1^st

Empire De Maulde

511-10

5/1

T: J EwartJ: Steven Fox (5)

Held up in touch, headway to chase leader 3 out, led next, ran on strongly flat op 11/2

2^nd

Dark Ruler

1011-12

7/1

T: J WardJ: Henry Brooke

Led, clear 3rd, jumped left 3 out, ridden and headed next, kept on same pace op 12/1

3^rd

Tim Rocco

711-12

12/1

T: O Greenall & J GuerrieroJ: R T Dunne

Held up in rear, headway approaching 3 out, ridden and kept on same pace op 14/1

4^th

1 ¼

Murchison River

510-13

9/4f

T: S EnglandJ: Jonathan England

Tracked leaders, ridden 4 out, outpaced next, rallied last, kept on same pace op 2/1 tchd 5/2

5^th

1 ¼

Imperial Focus

611-9

13/2

T: S WaughJ: Grant Cockburn (3)

Close up, chased leader 4 out, ridden next, kept on same pace op 6/1 tchd 11/2

6^th

1 ¼

Farlam King

610-0

4/1

T: M A BarnesJ: B S Hughes

Tracked leader, ridden 3 out, weakened 2 out op 11/2

7^th

Emissaire

511-8

10/1

T: Miss Lucinda V RussellJ: D R Fox

Held up, ridden 3 out, blundered next, never on terms tchd 9/1

8^th

Eagle Ridge

811-7

12/1

T: N W AlexanderJ: Lucy Alexander

Tracked leaders, ridden 3 out, soon weakened op 9/1

Also Ran

Friends In Heaven

711-4

40/1

T: A WilsonJ: R D Day

Towards rear, outpaced 4 out, tailed off when pulled up soon after 2 out op 33/1

Rapid Fritz

1010-0

100/1

T: V ThompsonJ: Philip Armson (7)

In touch, ridden 4 out, weakened next, tailed off when pulled up before last op 80/1

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Betting Breakdown

Tote Win:£5.50Pl:£1.60, £2.90, £4.10EX:£41.20Trifecta:£536.40Tricast:£407.93SF:£41.81Swingers:£7.20, £7.50, £24.60

Forecasts

Murchison River (9/4), Farlam King (4/1), Empire De Maulde (5/1), Imperial Focus (13/2), Dark Ruler (7/1), Emissaire (10/1), Tim Rocco (12/1), Eagle Ridge (12/1), Friends In Heaven (40/1), Rapid Fritz (100/1)

Another modest contest which with respect to all of those involved isn't really befitting of a Grade 1 jumps track. Murchison River is the form pick after going close in a similar contest here in December, and with the Sam England team among the winners at Kelso on Sunday (Choochoobugaloo) rates as a worthy favourite now dropped back in trip. However, we'll seek some each-way value with the Nick Alexander-trained EAGLE RIDGE. We've not witnessed the best of this 8yo on deep winter ground, but with the benefit of a seasonal reappearance at Kelso banked, a drop back in trip and a slow ease in the weights (5lb), he's a horse of some interest in a very poor race.

Eagle Ridge
Murchison River
Dark Ruler

Prize Money

1st: £4,094.002nd: £1,202.003rd: £601.004th: £350.005th: £350.006th: £350.007th: £350.008th: £350.00