Couple of runners at Newcastle Saturday

12 noon start at Newcastle on Saturday, where the advance going is not surprisingly soft. No more rain forecast though. So, we head across the border with two runners and Callum rides both.

Bill & Carol Aitchison's lovely gelding Banks O'Houxty is first up for the yard when he runs in the 2m 4½f novice hurdle at 1.05. This is his second run this season after a long absence, and we're looking for him to build upon his hurdle run over 2 miles when he was 5th to the smart Ribble Valley at Hexham in early November.

And he could well bump into another improving hurdler in Ruth Jefferson's Lemon T. This gelding was runner up on hurdles bow a couple of weeks ago, but had previously won a bumper last season. He'll start at short odds.

Elsewhere, Golden Chancer's hurdles form is roughly in line with Banks O'Houxty.
The other 3 runners are hurdling debutants, each having run in bumpers for experience. The best of this trio may prove to be Susan Corbett's mare Our Promise.

Banks O'Houxty (Callum) tracks a couple of stablemates

Paper Promise

Later on in the card, Paper Promise tackles six opponents in the 2m 4½f mares handicap hurdle, a Class 4 event for horses rated 0-120. This was a race we won last year with Eternally Yours and we'd love to repeat that success.

The top weight is Legalized who is a fair hurdler at her best and ran a very promising 3rd on her jumping reappearance at Ayr in mid November, a race in which our own Baby Ticker (winner since) was 4th. However, she failed to build on that a couple of weeks later but that may have come too soon. She's a danger.

Sam England's Oksana was a progressive hurdler during the summer, and would go close if she can handle the testing conditions here.
The same question regarding the soft ground also applies to Nicky Richard's Amberose, whose best form is on a sound surface. But the stable had 4 winners at Carlisle last Sunday, so this mare can't be ruled out.
Scobie's Keep The River's form is entirely on a sound surface, so she's another to take on trust that the soft ground would hold no barriers.
You'd have to forgive Lostnfound a poor effort last time out, but on her previous run on stable debut she would come into the reckoning.
Which leaves the lightly raced novice Theflickeringlight who looks sure to improve on her form so far. This Flemensfirth mare, a winner of two points, does race keenly though but has the assistance of Brian Hughes here.

Paper Promise has come out of her race at Kelso a couple of weeks ago in good heart, acts on soft/heavy and will be suited by the trip. Our only concern is that this race may come too soon, but she's in such fine form at home that we'll give it a go.

Good luck to all connections - Ron & Eileen, Wee Davie and Ian. Have a fine day at the races.

Paper Promise (Leah) leads Danced Every Dance (Lewis) and Big Bad Dream (Pinky)