Racecards
14:00 Newcastle
Robson & Prescott Veterinary Group Handicap (str) (Class 2)
- 9 Runners
- Distance: 1m 3y
- Going: Heavy
- Surface: Turf
- £14,000 added
- Winner: £8,831
- 2nd: £2,643
- 3rd: £1,322
- 4th: £661
- Form 048163
- Age 6
- Weight 9-7
- Official Rating 92
took keen hold, held up in touch, headway over 2f out, soon challenged, driven to lead over 1f out, ridden out final furlong
- Form 676187
- Age 3
- Weight 9-7
- Official Rating 95
- Trainer J & T Gosden
- Jockey N Mackay
slowly into stride, tracked leaders, effort 2f out, ridden over 1f out, no impression final furlong
- Form 003071
- Age 3
- Weight 9-6
- Official Rating 94
- Trainer C & M Johnston
- Jockey Greg Fairley
led narrowly, headed over 2f out, soon ridden and lost place, weakened over 1f out
- Form 912200
- Age 5
- Weight 9-4
- Official Rating 89
- Trainer G A Harker
- Jockey M O'connell
held up in touch, driven and outpaced 4f out, one pace until stayed on final 100 yards, never reached leaders
- Form 428103
- Age 3
- Weight 9-2
- Official Rating 90
- Trainer C & M Johnston
- Jockey R Ffrench
tracked leaders, driven 4f out, ridden and lost place 3f out, weakened and eased final 2f, pulled up
- Form 773123
- Age 5
- Weight 9-1
- Official Rating 86
tracked leaders, driven over 2f out, soon ridden and one pace, no impression final furlong
- Form 32927-8
- Age 6
- Weight 9-1
- Official Rating 86
- Trainer J R Boyle
- Jockey P Cosgrave
with leader, led over 2f out, ridden and headed over 1f out, kept on same pace final furlong
- Form 443304
- Age 6
- Weight 8-11
- Official Rating 82
- Trainer R A Fahey
- Jockey Lee Topliss
tracked leaders, effort over 2f out, ridden to chase leading pair over 1f out, kept on under pressure final furlong, no impression
- Form 401871
- Age 4
- Weight 8-7
- Official Rating 78
- Trainer A C Whillans
- Jockey P McDonald
missed break badly, in rear, ridden 2f out, never near leaders
Verdict
City Of The Kings really won't appreciate the ground and without his preferred conditions is very hard to fancy. The opposite is true of Scrapper Smith who enjoyed the cut in the ground at Haydock last time out and will enjoy the mile on a testing surface. You have to go back two years for the last time Arabian Spirit won off a higher mark than this but he is in decent form, he acts on the surface and has Champion-elect Paul Hanagan in the saddle. Al Farahidi is opposable having severely disappointed when last seen here although to his credit he did compensate for that loss by winning at Pontefract. Osteopathic Remedy makes the short trip from County Durham and is respected after staying on to take third in a big field at York but the selection is SECRETIVE. He ran in a tough looking small field at Southwell last time out and if forgiving his poor effort on the Polytrack at Wolverhampton and concentrating more on his last effort on soft ground at Brighton where he managed to win then he could find further success off only 4lb higher. Bullwhip was an expensive yearling and is another to consider but Secretive gets the tentative vote.
Formwatch
Osteopathic Remedy (IRE) 20-1 (9-2) Held up in rear, headway well over 1f out, kept on under pressure, never troubled leaders, 3rd of 20, 2 1/4l behind Gunner Lindley (8-9) at York 1m hcp 0-100 (2) sft.
Bullwhip (IRE) 11-2fav (9-4) Close up, ridden and lost place over 4f out, kept on final furlong, 7th of 13, 4l behind Carnaby Street (9-4) at Newmarket 7f hcp 0-100 (2) sft.
Al Farahidi (USA) 16-1 (9-7) Made all, ridden and hung right inside final furlong, kept on well, eased towards finish, won at Pontefract 1m 3yo hcp 0-95 (3) sft beating Sand Skier (9-7) by 2l, 5 ran.
City of The Kings (IRE) 33-1 (8-11) Held up mid-division, short of room after 2f soon behind, never dangerous, 12th of 20, 10l behind Gunner Lindley (8-9) at York 1m hcp 0-100 (2) sft.
Secretive 10-3 (8-11) Disputed close 2nd, led 3f out, pushed along and headed inside final 2f, weakened inside final furlong, 3rd of 4, 2 3/4l behind Kalk Bay (8-7) at Southwell 1m 3yo hcp 0-100 (2) fbs.
Arabian Spirit 16-1 (9-4) Mid-division, ridden and headway over 1f out, ran on near finish, 3rd of 15, hd behind Dance And Dance (9-10) at Newmarket 1m hcp 0-95 (3) sft in Sep.
The Fifth Member (IRE) 40-1 (9-4) With leader, led over 2f out, ridden and headed over 1f out, weakened soon after, 8th of 13, 7l behind Brick Red (8-11) at Ascot 1m hcp 0-100 (2) gs in Sep.
Faithful Ruler (USA) 5-1 (9-2) Tracked leaders, ridden 3f out, kept on, one pace, 4th of 6, 11l behind Red Merlin (9-8) at Warwick 1m 3f hcp 0-95 (3) hvy.
Scrapper Smith (IRE) 16-1 (8-9) Held up in rear, headway on outside 2f out, ridden to chase leading pair over 1f out, switched right inside final furlong, stayed on to lead near finish, won at Haydock 1m hcp 0-80 (4) sft in Sep beating Amethyst Dawn (9-6) by 1 1/2l, 12 ran.