Newcastle Wednesday: Conditions and Overview
Wednesday's six-race card at Newcastle presents a solid afternoon's sport with the £25,000 Kauto The King Handicap Steeple Chase as the feature. The going is good to soft, good in places, with the whole track having been verti-drained since the last meeting. That's encouraging news – Newcastle can get heavy quickly, but this surface should suit the majority of runners.
The verti-draining work tells you the track was probably getting a bit dead, so expect a more responsive surface than we might have seen recently. That's particularly relevant for the staying chases where horses need to be able to quicken off the bend.
Feature Race: The Kauto The King Handicap Chase
The 2m 4f Class 2 chase at 13:45 looks a cracking contest with seven runners headed by the Dan Skelton-trained Etalon. Rated 144, he's clearly the class act here, and Harry Skelton takes the ride. This horse has been knocking on the door in better company and drops back in class here.
The danger looks to be Hercule du Seuil for Neil Mulholland. Rated just 2lb inferior on 142, he gets the services of Harry Cobden, which tells you connections fancy their chances. The eight-year-old has been consistent without winning lately, but this looks his sort of opportunity.
Light N Strike catches the eye as both a course and distance winner. That's gold dust at a track like Newcastle where local knowledge counts for plenty. Mickey Bowen's 10-year-old is rated 135, so he's getting 9lb from the topweight, and James Bowen knows this horse inside out.
Course Specialists to Follow
Looking through the Newcastle racecard, the course and distance winners stand out like beacons. Best Night in the 15:50 mares' hurdle has both course and distance form, which gives her a significant edge in what looks a competitive handicap. David Pipe's mare gets Harry Cobden on board, and at 101 she's nicely treated.
Striking A Pose in the finale also boasts course and distance form. Joe Tizzard's 10-year-old has been thereabouts in similar company and gets Freddie Gingell up. The 3m 2f trip should suit, and his rating of 107 looks workable off this mark.
In the shorter 2m chase at 15:15, Lightning Flash is interesting despite being a course debutant. The Twiston-Davies team know what they're doing with their chasers, and this six-year-old could be well treated off 109.
Trainers and Jockeys in Form
The Skelton team have three rides on the card, which suggests they fancy their chances of a winner or two. Dan Skelton's strike rate has been impressive lately, and when Harry Skelton makes the trip north, it's usually for a purpose.
Paul Nicholls has runners in four of the six races. The Ditcheat maestro doesn't send horses this far north without good reason, so all his runners warrant respect. Outmaster in the maiden hurdle looks particularly interesting – Nicholls doesn't often have maidens at this stage of the season unless they're useful.
James Bowen rides four on the card and his mount in the novice chase, Dyno Dave, could be overpriced. Nicky Henderson's eight-year-old is rated 105 but has been running in better company than this suggests.
Going Concerns and Advantages
The good to soft surface should suit most, but it's worth noting which horses have proven form on similar ground. Etalon has won on soft ground before, which gives him an edge in the feature race. The verti-draining should have improved the surface significantly, making it more testing than good ground but not the energy-sapping heavy that can catch horses out.
Stayers generally handle cut in the ground better than speed horses, which could favour the longer-distance runners later in the card. The 3m 2f finale might see the ground riding a touch slower by then, which would suit Striking A Pose's patient racing style.
Best Bets and Ones to Watch
Etalon looks the banker of the day in the feature race. Class will tell, and dropping back in grade should see him too good for these. Light N Strike is the each-way alternative with his course form a major plus.
Best Night appeals strongly in the mares' hurdle with her course and distance form, while Outmaster could be a Nicholls special in the maiden hurdle. Don't overlook Dyno Dave at likely big odds in the novice chase – Henderson's horses often improve for a drop in class.
The afternoon should provide some competitive racing with the going playing fair to all runners. Newcastle's unique characteristics mean local knowledge and course form count for plenty, making it a day where the form book and course specialists should come to the fore.
