32Red Casino Fillies' Handicap

Off time: 19:15 | Winning time: 1m 40.24s

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(5)

Mandrell⁴⁵⁰

Age: 4| Weight: 9-7| J: A Kirby| T: C Appleby| OR: 77

1/3

Made a hugely promising winning debut for this rider, over this trip as a juvenile on the Kempton Polytrack in December 2015, but has missed the whole of her three-year-old career. Makes her belated handicap debut against her own sex, and fascinating that she has not been packed off to stud, looks a cut above these rivals from her opening mark of 77.

Form: 1/

(1)

Dusky Dawn⁷

Age: 5| Weight: 9-5| J: J Fanning| T: G A Swinbank| OR: 75

5/1

Southwell and Newcastle regular who is probably most effective over this trip, but has been running fairly consistently from this sort of mark all winter without winning. Fourth over 7F here to Bint Arcano last week, but potentially faces a stiff task up against Mandrell in this contest.

Form: 619606

(4)

Livella Fella¹⁰⁴

Age: 4| Weight: 9-3| J: P Makin| T: K Dalgleish| OR: 73

16/1

Dual turf winner in 2016 (over slightly longer trips), who shouldn't be unduly bothered by racing over a stiff mile. Possibly has seen her stamina over-stretched in her two previous starts (most recent) at this track, and is eased slightly to a mark of 73 in a race which isn't the strongest (apart from Mandrell).

Form: 455-466

(3)

Forever A Lady¹²⁸

Age: 4| Weight: 9-3| J: Connor Beasley| T: K Dalgleish| OR: 73

25/1

Stablemate of Livella Fella who clearly enjoys the Scottish air, with both of her career victories coming over 7F on the west coast at Ayr. Her previous form on turf suggests that she's not at her best over this trip, and is probably best watched on her AW debut.

Form: 7500-34

(2)

Barwah⁵

Age: 6| Weight: 9-2| J: A Mullen| T: P D Niven| OR: 72

9/1

Tough as teak mare, and this stiff mile on Tapeta at Newcastle undeniably brings out the best in her. However, she is getting high in the weights, and posted a rare below par run here last week (seventh of eight to Swift Emperor), and reportedly has a date with the paddocks at the end of this AW campaign with connections keen to get her into foal.

Form: 78-1272

Forecasts

Mandrell (1/3), Dusky Dawn (5/1), Barwah (9/1), Livella Fella (16/1), Forever A Lady (25/1)

This race revolves around MANDRELL. Whatever the reason for her absence from the track during 2016, it must be considered telling that connections have persevered with her as a racehorse rather than packing her off to stud, and there's every possibility that she's thrown in from an opening mark of 77 tonight. She's likely to take all of the beating on her Tapeta and Handicap debut.