ONESMOOTHOPERATOR can win the Jenningsbet Northumberland Plate Handicap (Heritage Handicap)(3.35pm) at Newcastle on Saturday afternoon.
Trainer Brian Ellison – who was born in Newcastle on Plate Day 72 years ago – can finally land his ‘Holy Grail’ and take the ‘Pitmen’s Derby’ – the feature at Gosforth Park, run a day after his birthday this year. Ellison has two entries in the extended two-mile with top weight Tashkan making his first start since finishing third to Double Major in the Group One Prix Royal-Oak at ParisLongchamp in October. He is clearly a classy stayer but carrying top weight and on his first start this season, he may have to settle for a place. But stable-mate Onesmoothoperator can score at a track he has thrived on in the past. The six-year-old is a smart performer on the all-weather courses and has won twice at Newcastle, including when landing the 1m4½f November Handicap – which was rerouted from its usual home of Doncaster – at the end of last season.
Onesmoothoperator clearly has enough pace to win at that shorter distance, but remains fairly unexposed over this longer trip despite running some fine races on his few tries at it. He was sixth over course and distance in January and even better when second in a similar handicap on his most recent start at Southwell. He was second to the reopposing Prydwen with subsequent Royal Ascot winner Pledgeofallegiance in third. With the latter not bidding to follow up at Gosforth Park, Onesmoothoperator can reverse the form with the former on 2lb better terms.
Others who may go well in the always-competitive Northumberland Plate are Hugo Palmer’s Chester Cup hero Zoffee – who is a course and distance winner; the Heather Main-trained similar course and distance scorer Island Brave; and Rathgar, from the Jack Channon stable.
Charlie Johnston’s PONS AELIUS can win the Jenningsbet Festival Northumberland Vase Handicap (Consolation Race For The Northumberland Plate) (2.35pm). The five-year-old has not won since taking a similar two-mile handicap at Goodwood around this time last year. He has been in and out of form but ran well to be fourth over course and distance in November last year. Pons Aelius was also third at Catterick on his penultimate start and is now down to an attractive handicap mark 11lb below what he scored off 12 months ago. He has to bounce back to form but under recent Royal Ascot winner Billy Loughnane, a rising star of the weighing room, Pons Aelius can do just that and get the better of favourite Alphonse Le Grande.
RAMAZAN can also bounce back from a below-par effort at Haydock Park last time to win the Group Three Jenningsbet Nun Street Newcastle Now Chipchase Stakes (2.04pm). Richard Fahey’s four-year-old had been progressive with two runner-up runs at Thirsk and in the Victoria Cup at Ascot, before finishing eighth behind Tiber Flow on Merseyside earlier this month. He is better than that and can give his true running on his first start on the all-weather to triumph.
Stable-mate STRIKE RED may be able to do something similar and bounce back with victory in the opener, the Jenningsbet 200 Shops Nationwide Handicap (1.35pm). The six-year-old had been near the head of affairs for a long way before fading into 13th behind Unequal Love in last weekend’s Wokingham Handicap at Royal Ascot. He generally takes a few runs to get going and hinted at a return to winning form in Berkshire. He won a big handicap in Ireland on his fourth start last season and can do something similar at Gosforth Park.
Others who can win at Newcastle are Richard Hannon’s recent Kempton scorer LOCAL HERO in the Pertemps Network Handicap (3.40pm); stable-mate INVITED in the Winners Wear Skopes Menswear EBF Novice Stakes (GBB Race) (4.15pm); the Andrew Balding-trained CITY STREAK in the Pertemps Handicap (4.50pm); and NATZOR – from the David O’Meara stable – in the finale, the Pertemps Education Network Handicap (5.25pm).
At Newmarket the aforementioned William Haggas-trained TIBER FLOW – a good winner of the Betfred John Of Gaunt Stakes at Haydock – can go in again in the Group Three Plantation Stud Criterion Stakes (3.25pm).
Liverpool FC fan Karl Burke’s TEEJ A can continue her fine form with victory in the Listed Maureen Brittain Memorial Empress Fillies’ Stakes (2.15pm). The Mehmas filly has won two of her three starts so far, following up her win at Chester with another in the Woodcote Stakes at Epsom. She can bring up a hat-trick stepped up into Listed company for the first time.
Charlie Appleby’s KING OF CONQUEST, under Liverpool FC fan William Buick, can also win in the Listed JCB Fred Archer Stakes (2.50pm).
Others who can triumph at Headquarters are Ed Walker’s QUEEN'S REIGN in the Durcan Bloodstock Pat Smullen Memorial Fillies’ Handicap (4pm); the Charlie Johnston-trained CANDLE OF DUBAI in the Stradovarius First Foals 2024 Fillies’ Handicap (4.35pm); and MAJESTIC, from the Jack Channon stable, in the finale, the Mutasaabeq At The National Stud Handicap (5.10pm).
At Chester Channon’s JUNGLE MAC, under Liverpool jockey Franny Norton, can win the Patron Tequila Handicap (3.35pm). Scouse veteran rider Norton may have another good afternoon on the Roodee with other victories on Charlie Johnston’s OPEN SECRET in the Whispering Angel Handicap (2.25pm) and SEA GREY – for the Cheshire stable of Merseyside-born Donald McCain – in the Jam Shed Handicap (4.10pm).
Meanwhile well-drawn course and distance winner OLD CHUMS can win the six-furlong Manor Car Hire Handicap (3pm) for trainer Tom Dascombe and jockey Pierre-Louis Jamin; and Tim Easterby’s GOLDEN MELODY can also triumph in the Chase Distillery EBF Fillies’ Handicap (5.20pm).
At the Curragh on Sunday Aidan O’Brien’s LOS ANGELES can win the Group One Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby (No Geldings) (4.05pm). The previously unbeaten son of Camelot finished a good third to mighty stable-mate City Of Troy and the reopposing Ambiente Friendly in the Betfred Derby at Epsom at the start of this month. He had won the Group One Criterium de Saint-Cloud on his second start as a juvenile before taking the Group Three Cashel Palace Hotel Derby Trial Stakes at Leopardstown on his seasonal return last month. He was raced more prominently at Epsom and being the stable number one at the Curragh, he will be given the best possible chance to reverse form with James Fanshawe’s Lingfield Derby Trial hero Ambiente Friendly. On this more conventional track and with even more improvement likely, Los Angeles can do just that to give his trainer O'Brien a record-extending 16th victory in the Irish Classic.
At the Curragh on Saturday O'Brien can grab at least a couple of victories with TRULY ENCHANTING in the Group Two Airlie Stud Stakes (Fillies) (2.20pm) and JAN BRUEGHEL in the Group Three Al Basti Equiworld Dubai International Stakes (2.55pm), both to be ridden by Ryan Moore.
Ralph Beckett's BLUESTOCKING, a good winner of the Middleton Stakes at York on her seasonal return, can go in again in the Group One Cairn Pretty Polly Stakes (Fillies & Mares) (3.30pm).
Wright Ones
NEWCASTLE
1.35pm Strike Red
2.04pm Ramazan
2.35pm Pons Aelius
3.10pm Onesmoothoperator (NAP)
3.40pm Local Hero
4.15pm Invited
4.50pm City Streak
5.25pm Natzor
NEWMARKET
1.40pm Paradise Springs
2.15pm Teej A
2.50pm King Of Conquest
3.25pm Tiber Flow
4pm Queen’s Reign
4.35pm Candle Of Dubai
5.10pm Majestic
CHESTER
1.50pm The Flying Seagull
2.25pm Open Secret
3pm Old Chums
3.35pm Jungle Mac
4.10pm Sea Grey
4.45pm Bobby Bennu
5.20pm Golden Melody
WINDSOR
2.10pm Kinetic
2.42pm Dubai Bling
3.17pm Perennial
3.52pm Believe In Stars
4.25pm Northcliff
5pm Lia Rose
5.32pm Stryder
DONCASTER
5.50pm Rock Opera
6.25pm Musical Touch
7pm Starshiba
7.30pm Timefall
8pm Marmaduke Lemon
8.30pm Turner Girl
9pm Al Muqdad
LINGFIELD
5.40pm Roscioli
6.10pm Mykonos St John
6.45pm On The Right Track
7.15pm Lucky Gift
7.45pm Noel Fox
8.15pm Mbappe
8.45pm Briar Rose
CURRAGH (SATURDAY)
1.45pm Red Letter Bray
2.20pm Truly Enchanting
2.55pm Jan Brueghel
3.30pm Bluestocking
CURRAGH (SUNDAY)
1.40pm Tunbridge Wells
4.05pm Los Angeles (NAP)
