19:50 Newcastle

Thursday 1 June 2017

All18:2018:5019:2019:5020:2020:50

KPMG Cutting Through Complexity Handicap

Off time: 19:53 | Winning time: 1m 39.9s

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Selected odds by:

(3)

El Vip³³

Age: 4| Weight: 9-7| J: J P Spencer| T: L M Cumani| OR: 94| BF| D

2/1

Holds a Royal Hunt Cup entry, and was a progressive three-year-old last term ending the season on a high note when winning over this trip at Leicester in October off a mark of 89. Showed promise on his return at Bath, but bombed out badly at Haydock in late April when well supported (raced too keenly). AW debut.

Form: 1431-30

(12)

Instant Attraction¹⁴

Age: 6| Weight: 9-7| J: J Garritty| T: Jedd O'Keeffe| OR: 94| D

7/1

Comes here in preference to Epsom on Friday (a race he was second in last year), and another runner who holds a Royal Hunt Cup entry. Finished seventh of 28 in that Royal Ascot contest in 2016. Fair to say he's been a shade below par so far this season, but is eased slightly in the weights and handles artificial surfaces well (2 from 5).

Form: 2270-07

(8)

Chestnut Fire¹⁹

Age: 5| Weight: 9-3| J: D Tudhope| T: D M Loughnane| OR: 90| D

10/1

A four time Dundalk winner (three times over this trip) and kept on well to finish fourth to Takatul on stable debut at Lingfield on his penultimate outing. Slowly away and outclassed on turf in the Victoria Cup latest, so this switch back to synthetics looks an obvious play.

Form: 3-44140

(7)

Moonlightnavigator¹³

Age: 5| Weight: 9-1| J: Jason Hart| T: J & S Quinn| OR: 88| D

10/1

A five time winner from 25 career starts and reliable over both 7F and 1m. Finished ninth in the Thirsk Hunt Cup on his seasonal debut before a solid runner up effort, beaten 2L by GK Chesterton, on soft ground at Newmarket (1m). Unexposed on the AW and an obvious contender if adapting to the surface.

Form: 5610-92

(9)

Lavetta⁴⁴

Age: 5| Weight: 9-1| J: J Fanning| T: Sally Haynes| OR: 88| D

25/1

Won three times last season including at Newmarket in October (1m fillies handicap). Remains 5lb above that winning mark, but entitled to benefit from her seasonal bow last month. Unexposed on the AW, but others could prove better treated.

Form: 01831-9

(5)

Illustrissime²¹⁵

Age: 4| Weight: 9-0| J: B A Curtis| T: T Coyle & K Wood| OR: 87

33/1

Winner of a Polytrack claimer at Deauville for N. Clement in August 2016, and was placed on debut for Roger Fell at Pontefract in October. Has again switched yards over the winter, but on all known evidence doesn't look strong enough here in a decent contest.

Form: 421835-

(1)

Mulligatawny¹²

Age: 4| Weight: 9-0| J: T Hamilton| T: R Fell & S Murray| OR: 87| D

10/1

Won a 1m Dundalk maiden for Mrs John Harrington in March 2016 before his form tailed off in Ireland. Sold for €27,000 in November 2016 and has already posted a couple of respectable efforts for this yard at Chester and Thirsk, so no surprise to see him going on strongly at the finish over this stiff mile.

Form: 873-643

(10)

Torrid⁵²

Age: 6| Weight: 8-9| J: Nathan Evans⁽³⁾| T: M & D Easterby| OR: 82| D

13/2

Dropped to a very handy mark and duly exploited the leniency with a gutsy win at Redcar in April. A 5lb higher mark makes life a lot tougher but he won with a bit in hand last time so may still have a little in reserve. One to monitor despite the stronger company and the switch to Tapeta.

Form: 64582-1

(4)

Jacob Black¹⁸⁷

Age: 6| Weight: 8-8| J: P J McDonald| T: Kenny Johnson| OR: 81| D

100/1

A four time winner for Keith Dalgleish over this trip, but badly out of sorts for the entire calendar year of 2016, and has moved onto pastures new with no reason other than a drop in the weights to expect a revival. Tough to consider in this race.

Form: 76/0700-

(13)

Prying Pandora¹³

Age: 4| Weight: 8-8| J: P Hanagan| T: R A Fahey| OR: 81| CD

6/1

Proved her stamina over this trip when a clear cut winner of a small field C&D fillies handicap last month. This is far more competitive and she races from a 5lb higher mark, but is clearly a filly on an upward trajectory.

Form: 1548-51

(6)

Testa Rossa^b¹³

Age: 7| Weight: 8-6| J: S H James| T: J S Goldie| OR: 79| BF| CD

20/1

Standing dish here over the winter months starting life from low grade handicaps and progressing through the ranks to a mark of 79. Carried that improved form back onto turf when winning by 6L at Ayr last month (albeit beaten subsequently), and whilst always respected at this track this race looks a shade too competitive.

Form: 503916

(11)

Mywayistheonlyway⁴²

Age: 4| Weight: 8-5| J: P Aspell| T: Grant Tuer| OR: 78

100/1

7F Yarmouth winner in August 2016 for Martyn Meade, but yet to show much in three starts for this yard. Dropped 3lb since his seasonal reappearance at Ripon last month, but impossible to see him involved competitively in this contest on his current form.

Form: 48177-0

(2)

Rockwood^v¹³

Age: 6| Weight: 8-4| J: A Mullen| T: Karen McLintock| OR: 77| D

16/1

Goes well on Tapeta (has won three times at Wolverhampton) and also twice placed at this track. Already twice a winner in 2017, starting off with a 40/1 shock at Pontefract in April and holding on gamely from a 2lb higher mark at Hamilton last month. Up in grade, and another 2lb in the weights, so life likely to be far tougher going forward.

Form: 303-151

Forecasts

El Vip (2/1), Prying Pandora (6/1), Torrid (13/2), Instant Attraction (7/1), Chestnut Fire (10/1), Moonlightnavigator (10/1), Mulligatawny (10/1), Rockwood (16/1), Testa Rossa (20/1), Lavetta (25/1), Illustrissime (33/1), Mywayistheonlyway (100/1), Jacob Black (100/1)

A fascinating 1m handicap in which it should pay to concentrate on the quality horses towards the top end of the weights. El Vip was heavily backed last time at Haydock having looked most progressive, but he pulled too hard and bombed out badly for Frankie Dettori. Jamie Spencer takes over in the saddle with this Royal Hunt Cup entrant on a retrieval mission. Moonlightnavigator posted a solid run behind GK Chesterton at Newmarket recently and unexposed on synthetics comes into contention as does the solid looking Mulligatawny. However, INSTANT ATTRACTION goes well on the AW and it's perhaps a tip in itself that Jedd O'Keeffe sends him here rather than to Epsom tomorrow to compete in a race which he finished a narrowly beaten runner up in last year.