Monday Magic on the Banks of the Tyne
Don't let anyone tell you Monday racing is a grind. Newcastle served up a proper afternoon of National Hunt action today — six races, good ground underfoot, and a card that had something for everyone from the handicap chaser merchants to the novice hurdle dreamers. If you weren't watching, you missed a treat.
The going was described as Good, Good to Soft in places — just about perfect for late September jumping, honest ground that rewards genuine ability and puts a premium on jumping cleanly. No excuses out there today. The horses that wanted it got it.
Let's break it all down. Grab a pint and settle in — there's plenty to talk about.
The Feature Race: Muskerry Rock and the Big Chase Test
The Celebrating Devon Women in Business Handicap Steeplechase — three miles and a furlong over the fences — was the headline act, and it didn't disappoint as a contest on paper. Class 3, fifteen grand in the pot, and a field of three that meant every single stride would count.
Muskerry Rock, partnered by the brilliant Sean Bowen, came in as the best-rated runner on 120 and with both the course and distance form flags flying. That C,D record at Newcastle over this trip is the kind of thing that makes you sit up straight. Bowen doesn't waste his Mondays — when he makes the trip north, he means business.
His brother James Bowen was aboard Limerick Leader (rated 110), making this a genuine Bowen family affair — and there's always a subplot when those two are lining up against each other. Meanwhile, Harry Skelton — a man who rarely turns up without a live chance — took the ride on Depalma (rated 102). On ratings, Depalma had the most to find, but Skelton is the sort of jockey who makes ratings look like suggestions.
Three runners, three miles, good ground. That's a race that sorts the men from the boys every single time.
Novice Watch: The Ones That Could Be Something Special
The Jodie Standing's Point-to-Point Recruits Novices' Hurdle was the race that had the notebook twitching most furiously. Seven runners, a mix of rated and unrated horses, and the kind of open contest where a star can emerge from absolutely nowhere.
Matiwo (Ciaran Gethings, rated 119) was the form pick — a course winner who arrived with a rating and a reputation. The D flag tells its own story; he's been here before and he knows what he's doing. Ride Like A Girl (Gavin Sheehan, rated 107) had solid form to her name too, and Sheehan is a jockey who rides with real intelligence in novice company.
But the ones to watch? The unrateds. Happy Chandler (Harry Reed), Pappano (Ellis Collier), Savanna Storm (Rian Corcoran), Scott's Legacy (Sam Twiston-Davies), and Silver Whisper (David Noonan) — any one of those could be a dark horse with a big future. Point-to-point recruits are always worth following in early-season novice hurdles. Some of these horses are going to be very, very good.
Check the Newcastle racecard for the full form guide — and keep the names of those unrated runners in your back pocket for the winter.
Ones to Follow: The Horses Worth Tracking This Winter
Every good card throws up a handful of horses worth monitoring going forward. Here are the names that jumped out from today's Newcastle card:
- Gore Point (Harry Cobden, rated 125) — The top-rated runner in the Shelley Coles Novices' Limited Handicap Chase and a horse with course and distance form. Cobden on a 125-rated chaser over two miles at Newcastle? That's a combination that demands respect. If he ran well today, he'll be heading into better company fast.
- Kom Tu Voudras (Harry Cobden, rated 115) — Cobden doubled up in the Paul Ferguson's Jumpers to Follow Handicap Hurdle on this course specialist. A D flag at Newcastle means he handles the track, and 115 gives him a workable mark. One to follow all winter.
- Matiwo — Already mentioned, but worth repeating. A 119-rated novice hurdler with course form is a serious horse. Watch where he goes next — there'll be bigger prizes on the agenda.
- Saint Polo (Luke Scott, rated 109) — Topped the weights in the selling hurdle and carried that C,D course-and-distance form. Selling class for a 109-rated horse suggests connections might have plans — keep an eye on where he runs next.
- Inside Man (Ciaran Gethings, rated 120) — Course and distance winner in the novice limited handicap chase. Gethings has been in cracking form and a horse with that track record at 120 could easily be ahead of his mark.
Amateur Hour — But Don't Underestimate It
The closing race of the afternoon — the Par Inn Bulpin Cup Amateur Jockeys' Handicap Hurdle over three miles and two furlongs — was a proper test of stamina and horsemanship. Seven runners, amateur jockeys, and a trip that would find out any horse lacking fitness or jumping ability.
Glitz And Glamour (Mr Evan Lonergan, rated 105) was the pick on ratings, while Final Entry (Mr James Shaw, rated 97) carried that crucial C,D form badge into battle. Amateur races can be chaotic, they can be messy, but they can also throw up genuinely progressive horses that the handicapper hasn't fully caught up with yet. Pooroldmackley (Miss Eleanor Williams) and French Diablo (Miss Aimee Jones) are names to note if they ran with any promise today.
And credit where it's due — amateur jockeys putting themselves out there in competitive National Hunt company deserve every bit of appreciation. It's not easy. It never is.
Final Verdict: Newcastle Delivered the Goods
Six races. Good ground. Quality jockeys. A feature chase with genuine intrigue, novice hurdles with horses that could develop into serious winter players, and a closing amateur contest that rounded off the card with real heart.
Newcastle continues to punch its weight as one of the best National Hunt venues in the north of England, and today's card was another reminder of why the early-season jumping calendar is something to get genuinely excited about.
The names to keep in your notebook heading into the autumn and winter? Gore Point, Kom Tu Voudras, Matiwo, Inside Man — and whoever emerged from that novice hurdle with their reputation enhanced. The form from today will matter. It always does.
See you at the races. The jumps season is well and truly alive.
