Tuesday 3rd September
By SP2A Analysis
Gowran Park 5.05 - Handicap - 1 mile - 16 run - Good
Tachos who was highly-tried last time after wins off 77 is an obvious favorite but not bomb proof, Blue Soul has very solid claims but will need every yard of the trip here. Brewel Hill may try to make all but whilst a winner here over shorter and at the trip elsewhere the hill might just catch him out. Corduan won an easier race here last time and stays on a mark of 68 but broke a blood vessel in that race so may be vulnerable.
The best handicapped horse in the race is surely SEPTEMBER LEAVES who is a distance winner and has won off higher marks than 73. It is well worth trying the excellent veteran ICE COLD IN ALEX over a mile, 7 furlongs seems too sharp now for this 10 year old but he still enjoys his racing and has been finishing strongly through the line running on line over 7 furlongs.
If there is one lurking off a nice mark at a bigger price, it may well be ACADEMY WINNER whose bet run so far was a staying on 3rd over 7 furlongs here, he's moved yard and been gelded since that run but the dams side pedigree suggests very strongly that this should be the ideal trip. (MG)
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Newcastle 8.15 - Handicap - Class 6 - 1 mile - 12 run - Standard to Slow
It's riding on the slow side here and as I've said many times this is a tough old slog over the straight mile!
Barleybrown is the one to beat on form with Course and Distance wins off 50 and 51 but 55 asks a question. Dougies Dream needs to reignite some form on return here where it has an excellent record so may be best watched for now. Wheres The Crumpet and Tees George have place chances and Retirement beckons who won an easier Classified race here earlier in the season should be competitive off a mark of 46 but may have had his annual win!.
All things considered though, I am most confident of a win or place irrespective of the market odds from MR HEINZ who popped up over Course and Distance off a mark of 46 last season, back to 46 with a 3lbs Claimer up and just has the look and feel of one that is about to deliver a repeat. At bigger odds, I really like the place chances of FORTUITOUS STAR who has his 3rd run of the season, best effort last year was on his 3rd run which was a 3rd place here and best form was over a mile at Redcar, so clearly gets a tough mile and not out of it by any means off a mark of 46 (AW - North)
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