18:15 Newcastle

Thursday 2 November 2023

All13:4014:1514:5015:2516:0016:3517:1017:4518:15

BetMGM: It's Showtime Handicap

Off time: 18:16 | Winning time: 1m 28.15s

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Selected odds by:

(5)

Mark's Choice³¹

Age: 7| Weight: 9-11| J: William Pyle⁽⁵⁾| T: G Tutty| OR: 69

17/2

Eleven runs since last win in 2022. Good fourth of 8 in handicap at Hamilton (6f, soft, 12/1) 31 days ago, nearest finish. Continues to edge down the weights and he's not discounted.

Form: 480854

(8)

Star Zinc¹⁶

Age: 4| Weight: 9-11| J: Callum Rodriguez| T: R Menzies| OR: 69

11/8

12/1, tenth of 12 in handicap at this course (8f) 16 days ago, finishing with running left. Eased 1 lb since and may well have a say in the finish, granted better luck-in-running this time.

Form: 060830

(2)

Miss Britain^b1,e/s1²³

Age: 4| Weight: 9-9| J: Billy Garritty| T: I W McInnes| OR: 67| D

40/1

18/1, last of 12 in handicap at Leicester (7f, good) 23 days ago. Now tried in blinkers/eyeshields and she needs to bounce back in a major way.

Form: 274870

(7)

Soames Forsyte⁴¹

Age: 4| Weight: 9-9| J: T Eaves| T: M Herrington| OR: 67

4/1

Cheekpieces on for 1st time, seventh of 13 in handicap (11/1) at Ayr (8f, good to soft) 41 days ago. Headgear swiftly discarded and, though 0-15, he is entitled to respect.

Form: 973787

(4)

Kelpie Grey²¹

Age: 3| Weight: 9-8| J: P Mulrennan| T: J S Goldie| OR: 67| D

4/1

Career best when winning 13-runner handicap at Ayr (7.2f, heavy, 28/1) 21 days ago, finding extra. 2 lb rise manageable and he's high on the shortlist.

Form: 276801

(6)

Vince Le Prince^p,t⁵¹

Age: 3| Weight: 9-7| J: D Allan| T: T D Easterby| OR: 66| D

7/1

9/1 and cheekpieces on for 1st time, career best when winning 6-runner handicap at Catterick (7f, soft) 51 days ago, just holding on. Will be a threat if he proved equally effective on this surface (AW debut).

Form: 00-9061

(9)

Lady Manyara³⁷³

Age: 3| Weight: 9-6| J: S H James| T: K R Burke| OR: 65

40/1

Lightly-raced maiden. Seventh of 8 in nursery at this C&D (12/1), finding little. Off 12 months and she's probably best watched this time.

Form: 6397-

(1)

Explorers Way^p²⁷

Age: 4| Weight: 9-4| J: Ben Robinson| T: B Ellison| OR: 62| CD

14/1

Improved on recent efforts to win 12-runner handicap at this C&D (9/2) 27 days ago. Did the job well on that occasion, but he's not the most reliable and this 10 lb higher mark demands more of him.

Form: 596191

Non-Runners

(10)

Unsung Hero³⁴

Weight: 9-8| Age: 4

T: H Main J: J Mitchell

(3)

Eagle Creek²

Weight: 9-5| Age: 9

T: M & D Easterby J: Lewis Chalkley

Forecasts

Star Zinc (11/8), Soames Forsyte (4/1), Kelpie Grey (4/1), Vince Le Prince (7/1), Mark's Choice (17/2), Unsung Hero (10/1), Explorers Way (14/1), Eagle Creek (33/1), Miss Britain (40/1), Lady Manyara (40/1)

The vote goes to KELPIE GREY, who showed improved form to get off the mark on his second start back from a mid-season break at Ayr three weeks ago. He displayed plenty of resolution that day and a 2 lb rise doesn't look at all harsh. Mark's Choice shaped pretty well at Hamilton and is next on the list ahead of Soames Forsyte and Unsung Hero. Vince Le Prince also needs a second look, but Explorers Way is opposable up 10 lb for last month's C&D success given his patchy profile.