Splendent, with experience of three runs, ticks enough boxes for a solid each-way bet in the ten-runner Maiden Stakes over ten furlongs of Newcastle tapeta this afternoon when an eight-race card offers plenty of punting opportunities, the reason why this column is produced daily.
Recently the ‘Good Ship Ross’ has been slightly awry but hard work always brings me back on course; throughout my racing life I’ve been concerned for readers/punters when losing runs occur but they know my time-handicap findings have been a rock on which profit is the ultimate purpose.
For what it’s worth we’re ‘in front’ after eleven days but I’m far from satisfied and intend increasing the rate of knots.
Kevin Stott is a major plus aboard Splendent; jockeyship, artifical surfaces and clocking form my modus opderandi which nowadays is founded on two-year-olds and novice/maiden hurdles, thus precluding the need of ‘guessing in handicaps which comprise the bulk of programmes.
For this reason the ‘too much racing’ argument is flawed, there can never be enough of my ‘speciality’ because two-year-olds are totally fascinating as they progress and race over different distances; a mile and a quarter represents a marathon but Splendent stayed on well to be a close second at Haydock over a mile and looks ideally suited to a slog around Gosforth Park.
As mentioned talented jockeys are paramount in assessment and none better than Saffie Osborne who claims 5lbs apprentice allowance and returns to the fray on Notions in the Novice Stakes over seven furlongs for her famous father, Jamie, outstanding on the NH scene at the end of last century.
Saffie was smashed up badly in 2020, came back in dramatic fashion this year but recently had to undergo further surgery to rectify a nagging wrist injury; hopefully we’ll all benefit from her expertise during the next few months.
Notions, to all intents and purposes, is a ‘penalty-kick’ judged on a recent distance victory on Chelmsford polytrack unless there is an above average newcomer among seven of thirteen rivals.
Given the importance of getting Saffie back on track, Notions is selected for a successful return.
A cracking card finishes with Rabat attempting to make it ninth time lucky in a desperately-weak Fillies Novice Median Auction Stakes over seven furlongs; can’t find the semblance of a danger!
Selections, Newcastle, 1.25 Splendent (e.w); 3.10 Notions; 3.40 Rabat.
Jeffrey Ross, horse-racing correspondent for WMN since 1983 when winning the most prestigious racing journalist award, Sporting Life Naps Table, before winning it a record number of six times collectively in the Racing Post, the current ‘trade’ paper, including 2019