by Charlie McCann
The second day of the big Northumberland Plate meeting at Gosforth Park Newcastle and there is a fascinating 7f maiden to start proceedings this evening.
Trainer Michael Dods had a frustrating period last week, four seconds from five runners, but has been back in the winner’s enclosure earlier in the week and his Lord Of The Rock deserves to get his head in front having finished placed on all three starts to date.
Preference, however, goes to the once-raced Madame Butterfly (6.10) who ran a good second at Thirsk earlier in the month and is a half-sister to Amazing Maria who won the Group 2 Duke Of Cambridge Stakes at Royal Ascot last week in the same colours of Sir Robert Ogden.
Chadic was not beaten far at Pontefract on Sunday up in trip to 10f for the first time and Mark Johnston steps him up again to a mile-and-a-half for the first time. If getting home he must go close and jockey Paul Mulrennan is likely to try and dictate things from the front, but Sir Chauvelin (6.40) is entitled to come on for his reappearance and gets the nod for Jim Goldie.
The selection travelled well before the lack of a recent run took its toll at Ayr and he has hinted that a thorough test of stamina will see him in a better light.
The feature race is the Listed Hoppings Stakes and twelve fillies go to post with the classic generation receiving 12lbs from the four-year-olds. Goodyearfortheroses is a fascinating runner from the Rae Guest yard having only her second start having won a Leicester maiden on debut. The runner up (Redstart) won the Group 3 Fred Darling earlier in the season and the third horse home (Star Of Seville) won the French Oaks at Chantilly last time!
She must go close but the vote goes to Talmada (7.15) who looked to find 12f too far at Haydock last time and looks certain to appreciate this intermediate 10f trip. At 4/1 with BetVictor I would be disappointed if she didn’t make the frame but make no mistake this is a top-class renewal.
The Gosforth Park Cup is the big betting race of the night and the form of Desert Ace’s (7.45) second to Red Baron at Thirsk last month has been franked by the winner’s subsequent exploits. Formerly trained by Clive Cox the 4-y-old remains 5lbs above his last winning mark for new handler Michael Dods but is another who can reward each way support at 7/1 with BetVictor.
Buckland Beau (8.45) was keen in his first-time visor at Thirsk over 7f last time and if this race was run 24 hours later he would not be eligible as he is currently rated 70, the ceiling for this race, but must race off a mark of 72 from Saturday. This looks a decent piece of placing by Newmarket handler Charlie Fellowes with Frederick Tylicki in the plate. The obvious danger is the 5/1 favourite Lazy Days In Loule who is 7lbs well in for Noel Wilson.
Favourites have won four of the last five renewals of the finale and Savannah Beau (9.20) can get back to winning ways having finished runner up at Carlisle last time under Robert Winston from a 3lbs lower mark. She looks a progressive sprinter and can pounce fast and late.
At Doncaster Azraff (3.35) has yet to fulfil the initial promise he showed as a juvenile but he is fitted with first-time blinkers and dropped back to a mile at Doncaster and is taken to concede the weight to his five rivals.
Yet Again (4.10) was too green to do herself justice on debut and has been off the track for ten weeks since her Newbury debut. Ryan Moore takes the ride in south Yorkshire and she is taken to break her maiden tag.
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