A couple of honourable 4th place finishes yesterday for An Cailin Cluin and Halifax at Warwick and I think the former is definitely a nice prospect who will pay her way for us in the months and years to come. A good 11/1 SP winner for Sean over at Clonmel, I know Sean has been chomping at the bit for some soft ground NH Autumn racing to get his teeth back into, after a disappointing 6 weeks or so; after a stellar spell. A tough race to fathom but clinically analysed and a nice winner to hopefully set him up for another great sequence.  

 

There is Flat action on Heavy Going at Ascot with very small fields today that may give us a few clues for tomorrow, nothing of note today at Gowran Park, although they also race tomorrow when there look to be better options and therefore we'll focus on a Handicap Hurdle at Hexham and an AW race at Newcastle today.

 

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Hexham 2.20 - Handicap Hurdle - Class 5 - 2 miles 7 and 1/2 furlongs - 13 run - Good

 

At the top of the market here we have a Dan Skelton horse in Santa Clarita who looks vulnerable up here to more experienced Course specialists and Magical Arthur who has won and placed at Worcester but who also looks vulnerable and opposable at the prices.

 

Balkotic faded tamely at Sedgefield last time but has Course and Distance winning form here and will be a danger if stripping fitter, Colonel Manderson won completely out of the blue here at 33/1 last season but has done nothing since but you can never totally discount it happening again in a race of this quality.

 

I do think the better proven Course form though lies with JETEYE who won over Course and Distance in June off a mark of 96, more highly tried elsewhere in two runs since but back here in a Class 5 off a mark of 100 looks by far the best each way value in the race to me. Another one with decent solid Course form credentials is ITURGEON DU BREUIL and off a competitive mark a price of 20/1 plus in the early markets is a tad eye-watering! (RJ)

 

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Newcastle 6.00 Handicap - Class 4 - 1 mile 12 run - Standard

 

A decent Class 4 contest and whilst the likes of Master Richard, (who may just be better at shorter than this tough straight mile(, and Snipers Eye (who is better at 10 furlongs these days but whose stamina may be an asset but who lacks Course form), head the market, but both look opposable to me.

 

Hale End is a Course and Distance winner and not lightly discounted but a mark of 80 looks on the high side to me and I think there is better value at the top and lower down the market.

 

GREATGADIGAN is a Course and Distance winner off 92, drops a bit in Class, may be a little regressive but off a mark of 85 any price above 4/1 is good value I feel. MASTER ZOFFANY at a considerably bigger price is a Course and Distance regular who was running and winning in Class 2 races here last winter off marks in the mid 80's dropped back to a mark of 78 in to Class 4, really jumps off the page ! (AW)