A Proper Sunday at Gosforth Park

Right, settle in and pull up a stool, because Newcastle served up a genuinely decent Sunday afternoon of summer jumping — the kind of card that doesn't get the credit it deserves because it's July and half the punting world is watching lads kick a football around. Their loss, I say. Six races, good-to-firm ground in places, and a few horses that'll be worth following when the proper season rolls around. Let's get stuck in.

The going was Good, Good to Firm in places — and on a day like today that matters enormously. You're looking for horses that travel fluently and don't want to be grinding through mud, and that filtered the fields beautifully. Any horse that won today on this surface and did it with a bit in hand? File that name away. They'll be flying come October.

The Feature: Zero to Exit Handicap Hurdle Over Three Miles Two

If you're asking me which race I had circled on the Newcastle racecard before a ball was struck, it's the Zero to Exit Handicap Hurdle over 3m 2f — and not just because of the wonderfully chaotic name. This was the classiest race on the card by ratings, and with Byzantium (rated 112, Paddy Hanlon up) and Time To Bite (rated 111, Bryan Carver) at the head of affairs, there was genuine quality to assess.

Byzantium is a horse I've had a soft spot for — course form there already, which at a track like Newcastle counts for a fair bit given the undulations and the way the back straight can catch a horse flat-footed. Paddy Hanlon doesn't ride up here every week, so when connections make that journey, you sit up and take notice. Time To Bite is no mug either — rated 111 and with course experience, Bryan Carver has quietly been putting together some tidy performances this summer and he's the sort of journeyman jockey who knows exactly how to place a horse in a small field.

Jager Time (Fern O'Brien, rated 103) was the one I was watching with one eye, mind you. Off a mark of 103 over this trip, if she travels sweetly in the early stages she's not without a shout. And I Am Spider Man — what a name, God love him — rated 100 under Callum Pritchard, was the each-way flier for the dreamers among us. Pritchard has been busy all summer and he rides with his head screwed on.

Ones to Follow — Horses Worth Your Notebook

This is the bit I enjoy most. Summer jumping is a talent identification exercise as much as anything else, and today's card at Newcastle threw up a few names worth scribbling down.

  • High Aura (Harry Skelton) — In the opener, the juvenile maiden hurdle, anything trained and ridden by the Skelton operation deserves respect. Harry Skelton doesn't drag himself up to Newcastle on a Sunday in July for the fresh air. If High Aura showed any kind of jumping ability today, back her next time at a bigger price when the market hasn't cottoned on.
  • Take The Boat (Harry Bannister, rated 95) — The highest-rated runner in the mares' maiden hurdle and already rated 95 despite being unproven over hurdles. That's a horse with a flat or point-to-point background that someone thinks can jump. If she showed any fluency today, she could be very well handicapped once she gets a mark over timber.
  • It's A Breeze (Paddy Hanlon, rated 91) — Course and distance winner in the handicap chase. C&D form at any track is gold dust, but at a quirky course like Newcastle it's practically a cheat code. Rated 91, which feels workable. If the handicapper doesn't overreact, there's more to come.
  • Premier Fantasy (Jack Quinlan, rated 103) — Top weight in the Sun Racing Summer Jumps Championship Chase and Jack Quinlan is a jockey who can really get a tune out of a staying chaser. Three miles one furlong on good ground — if he jumped well and won with authority, he's one for the better staying chases come autumn.
  • Makinbecon (Callum Pritchard, rated 85) — Course and distance form in the Brendon Soper Memorial Handicap Hurdle. Rated 85, which gives connections plenty of room to manoeuvre. Pritchard clearly knows this horse and this track. One for the notebook absolutely.

Jockey and Trainer Angles Worth Noting

A few combinations caught the eye on today's Newcastle racecard that are worth flagging for future reference.

Harry Skelton rode two horses today — High Aura in the juvenile hurdle and Getmyfriend in the mares' maiden. When Skelton doubles up at a Sunday summer meeting, Dan Skelton has usually sent them there for a reason. They're not burning diesel for nothing. Keep an eye on both horses' next entries — they'll likely reappear at a track where the market respects them a bit less.

David Noonan was another jockey who was busy across the card — Watchoutitscookie in the chase, Applejack Poet in the hurdle, and Lundy View in the mares' maiden. That's a man earning his day rate. Noonan is a solid, underrated rider who doesn't get the column inches he deserves, and any horse he produces a polished round on is worth tracking.

Tom Broughton also had a full book — Timely Salute, Chief Black Robe, and Great d'Ange across three different races. Chief Black Robe in the handicap chase is particularly interesting — course and distance form, rated 90, and Broughton clearly has a good relationship with that horse's connections.

Looking Ahead — Where These Horses Go Next

The summer jumping calendar is a funny beast. Horses that run well in July often disappear for a bit, come back in October freshened up, and catch the market stone cold. That's the angle you want to be playing.

For the juveniles — High Aura and anything else that showed promise in the opener — watch for entries at Market Rasen, Perth, or Stratford over the coming weeks. Those are the tracks where summer juvenile hurdlers tend to pop up for a second run before connections decide whether they're proper horses or not.

The staying handicappers — particularly Byzantium, Time To Bite, and Premier Fantasy — are the sort that'll be aimed at the better staying handicaps once the season proper gets going. Byzantium on a rating of 112 could easily be competitive in a Pertemps qualifier or similar if connections are thinking big. Premier Fantasy over three miles-plus on decent ground looked like a horse with a future in the better staying chases.

And for the mares — Take The Boat is one I'll be watching very carefully. A rated 95 runner in a maiden hurdle suggests there's a proper horse in there. If she jumped well today, she'll be aimed at a mares' novice hurdle of some substance before Christmas.

Final Word from the Paddock

Look, it's July, it's summer jumping, and Newcastle isn't Cheltenham. But that's exactly why I love this time of year — the diamonds are hiding in plain sight, and the crowds aren't big enough for the market to be fully efficient. Today's card at Newcastle gave us juvenile promise, a proper feature hurdle with class horses, and a staying chase that'll have given a few horses' connections something to smile about on the drive home.

Get the notebook out, mark down High Aura, Take The Boat, It's A Breeze, Premier Fantasy, and Makinbecon, and check back in with us when they reappear. Summer jumping is where the homework gets done. The exam is in November. Don't say I didn't warn you.

Full results and sectional times from today's card available on the Newcastle racecard page.