We have three runners at Newcastle on Saturday. It's a late start for us as our first runner Paddling doesn't run until 4.20.pm. He has been a model of consistency this season finishing in the frame on six of his seven starts, with a genuine excuse of a snotty nose causing him to under perform at Sedgefield last time. He did get his nose in front at Catterick back in December but the stewards controversially took the race off him. He is stepping up in grade on Saturday, but in the forecast ground of Soft with heavy places he might just make his very light weight count.
Alan Cawley who rides Paddling also rides Burdigala in the 4.55.pm. This ex French gelding has mixed chasing and hurdling in his native France winning at Nancy over fences back in the summer of 2018. To date he has made one start for us, some fifteen months ago when finishing down the field at Wetherby. He returns from injury, and is quite entitled to come on a great deal for this first run in 462 days.
Our final runner is Freddie's Frontier in the concluding bumper at 5.30.pm where Graham Lee who has a tremendous strike rate with our bumper horses (he has a 18% strike rate) takes the ride. Freddie's Frontier is a half brother to the JP McManus owned ill fated Outlaw Pete who made up into a top class cross country horse being placed third at the Cheltenham Festival back in 2013.This looks a slightly above average bumper so Freddie's Frontier will need all of Graham Le's flat racing experience.
Good luck to all the connections
Our next runners are at Market Rasen on Sunday.