17:45 Newcastle

Saturday 14 April 2018

All13:3014:0514:4015:2015:5516:3017:0017:45

Think Differently With Vertem Handicap Hurdle

Off time: 17:47 | Winning time: 6m 2.8s

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Selected odds by:

Arizona Bound³⁵

Age: 6| Weight: 11-12| J: Callum Bewley⁽³⁾| T: Miss Lucinda V Russell| OR: 100

6/1

Beaten 16L by The Jam Man on handicap/stable debut at Ayr last month (2m5f soft) but that was his best effort since his bumper days with Gordon Elliott. Dropped 1lb.

Form: 189552

Ange Des Malberaux^b²²

Age: 8| Weight: 11-8| J: Steven Fox⁽⁵⁾| T: J Ewart| OR: 96| BF

7/2

Not won since July 2017 (2m1f Cartmel soft), but was narrowly repelled by Dolly's Dot over 2m4f at Sedgefield latest. Raised 3lb since and on balance that looks a fraction harsh.

Form: 038732

Tara Mac^p1¹³

Age: 9| Weight: 11-8| J: Harry Reed⁽⁵⁾| T: Tim Vaughan| OR: 96

16/1

In and out performer who has shown the best of her recent efforts over fences. Failed to complete on her last three starts, so first time cheek-pieces are applied to this one-time Keith Dalgleish trained mare.

Form: 5-12FUP

War Joey^t²⁰

Age: 5| Weight: 11-6| J: W T Kennedy| T: Mrs A Hamilton| OR: 94

12/1

0-7 so far, and yet to get competitive in any of those starts. Drops 5lb in the handicap following a tame effort at Carlisle last month (2m1f) and now tries this 2m4f trip for the first time.

Form: 75P740

Tomahawk Wood⁸⁹

Age: 9| Weight: 11-4| J: Callum Whillans⁽³⁾| T: D W Whillans| OR: 92| CD

3/1

Kept on strongly to take this race by 3½L in 2016 (soft) and hasn't seen masses of racing since, generally reserving his better efforts for Ayr. Up 2lb since his last start in January, but that form is most respectable.

Form: 158-P83

Appletree Lane³¹

Age: 8| Weight: 11-3| J: Craig Nichol| T: T R Gretton| OR: 91

20/1

The breakthrough success is proving elusive (now 0 from 13), and she's regressing rather than progressing. Plausible that she resented the cheek-pieces last time (left off today), but that's clutching at straws in all honesty.

Form: 23-435P

News For Pascal⁴⁰⁶

Age: 10| Weight: 11-2| J: J Kington⁽³⁾| T: S G West| OR: 90

11/1

Done all of his racing in Ireland so far, with his victories coming in point-to-points (0 from 13 under rules). A rather odd looking new stable recruit at the age of ten, so perhaps the market will provide the best guide.

Form: 2/860S2-

Dolly's Dot²²

Age: 7| Weight: 10-4| J: Thomas Dowson⁽³⁾| T: V Thompson| OR: 78

5/1

Very moderate mare who has been showing some improvement this season and scored from a mark of 74 at Sedgefield (2m4f, soft) last month. Denied the opportunity to race at the cancelled Hexham fixture on Tuesday.

Form: 864941

Younoso²⁵

Age: 7| Weight: 10-0| J: Ross Chapman⁽³⁾| T: Miss T Jackson| OR: 70

12/1

Alflora mare who has shown very little ability in five career starts, including on handicap debut at Wetherby last month (2m3f+ heavy).

Form: 7P977

Knocklayde^b³⁰

Age: 6| Weight: 10-0| J: S Mulqueen⁽³⁾| T: K Scott| OR: 69

20/1

Sole career success was in a three runner Hexham bumper (heavy) exactly two years ago. Form figures of P,P,P this campaign make for grim reading.

Form: 7U2-PPP

Non-Runners

Dutch Canyon⁵⁹

Weight: 10-8| Age: 8

T: N W Alexander J: Grant Cockburn

Forecasts

Tomahawk Wood (3/1), Ange Des Malberaux (7/2), Dolly's Dot (5/1), Dutch Canyon (5/1), Arizona Bound (6/1), News For Pascal (11/1), War Joey (12/1), Younoso (12/1), Tara Mac (16/1), Knocklayde (20/1), Appletree Lane (20/1)

If this is the getting out stakes on Grand National day, then it's very testing times. The bulk of these horses find winning challenging, and that's perhaps best illustrated by the frustrating 0 from 26 Dutch Canyon. Dolly's Dot and Ange Des Malberaux fought out a finish at Sedgefield last month, but one could argue that the pair have been harshly done by being raised 4lb and 3lb respectively since. If pushed, the horse to side with is the Donald Whillans trained TOMAHAWK WOOD. He took this race from a much lower mark in 2016, but his January Ayr third to What A Dream reads well with hindsight, with the runner up Haul Us In scoring three times since.