18:00 Newcastle

Wednesday 17 January 2018

All16:0016:3017:0017:3018:0018:30

Sunbets Handicap

Off time: 18:00 | Winning time: 1m 39.4s

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Selected odds by:

(6)

Malaspina^p⁴⁷

Age: 6| Weight: 9-9| J: B A Curtis| T: I Furtado| OR: 87| CD

11/4

A mare who has won on both of her starts for this trainer since switched from France, and now boasts a 60% strike rate on the AW (3 from 5). Up 4lb for her Southwell success, and 10lb higher than when winning over C&D in November.

Form: 513111-

(1)

Mujassam¹⁶

Age: 6| Weight: 9-7| J: G Lee| T: D O'Meara| OR: 85

8/1

Has just his fifth AW start tonight, and his first away from Southwell. A winner on the Fibresand in early December (6f), he's failed to back that up off this mark since, and has stamina to prove over a new trip.

Form: 06816-6

(3)

Florencio^p¹⁶

Age: 5| Weight: 9-6| J: T Hamilton| T: R Fell & S Murray| OR: 84

5/1

Much stronger on the AW (4 from 17) than on turf (1 from 15), and that's also reflected in his official rating. Yet to score beyond 7f, so this stiff mile is the chief concern.

Form: 31476-3

(5)

Testa Rossa^b⁵⁵

Age: 8| Weight: 8-13| J: Phil Dennis⁽³⁾| T: J S Goldie| OR: 77| CD

5/1

Still high in the weights, but the assessor is understandably reluctant to ease a horse who has proved a standing dish over C&D in the past. Not beaten far when third to Pouvoir Magique in early November, so has possibilities off 2lb lower.

Form: 862635-

(8)

Lagenda^b⁴

Age: 5| Weight: 8-12| J: S A Gray| T: Kristin Stubbs| OR: 76

7/1

Not managed to register a victory since his juvenile days (7f; July 2015), so it's safe to suggest that the handicapper remains in absolute control. Beaten just over 2L at Wolverhampton on Saturday (fourth), but not guaranteed to stay 1m.

Form: 0332-54

(7)

Nick Vedder¹⁷

Age: 4| Weight: 8-9| J: A Mullen| T: M Wigham| OR: 73| CD

7/2

Showed some reasonable enough course form for Karl Burke in 2017, and was a winner over C&D from a 6lb lower mark in March. Back from a six month break with a fair effort at Lingfield recently (stable debut), so figures on the radar.

Form: 318033-

(2)

Pumaflor^p¹⁶

Age: 6| Weight: 8-8| J: J P Sullivan| T: P A Kirby| OR: 72| D

16/1

Solid enough on turf at or around this kind of trip, but has offered little of any note on the AW in three starts. Not shown much over hurdles, and reverts to the Flat for the first time since September.

Form: 228P08-

(4)

Lucky Violet^h⁸⁵

Age: 6| Weight: 8-7| J: J Fanning| T: Miss L A Perratt| OR: 68

16/1

Kept on strongly when winning a 7f Musselburgh fillies handicap for Ian Jardine in August 2016, but was off for 14 months thereafter, and has moved on since her last start in October (C&D fifth). Dropped 5lb.

Form: 221/855-

Forecasts

Malaspina (11/4), Nick Vedder (7/2), Testa Rossa (5/1), Florencio (5/1), Lagenda (7/1), Mujassam (8/1), Pumaflor (16/1), Lucky Violet (16/1)

Malaspina has shown she's a winning machine throughout her career, and is unbeaten in two starts since switched from France, but life will be much tougher for her now as she continues to edge up the weights. Testa Rossa is always shortlist material over the straight mile at Newcastle, but the handicapper also understands this fact very well, and is therefore reluctant to ease him too much in the weights, so the lightly raced four-year-old NICK VEDDER is the safest option. He showed enough on his return from a six month break at Lingfield in New Years Eve (stable debut) to suggest that he's capable of winning more races from his current mark, and what better place to prove that than by returning to his favoured AW venue (previous C&D winner).