Duo heading down the road to Gosforth Park

Well, we're hoping for better runs from our runners at Newcastle on Saturday, as Danced Every Dance wasn't going particularly well when unseating Callum midway through her race at Musselburgh on Tuesday.

Eider Chase day is a highlight of Newcastle's jump card each season and although there's no runner from this yard in the race, our thoughts often recall the 1999 renewal of this great staying chase.
Peter (for it was he) was home-bred, stayed forever and started 2nd favourite for the race having won over 3m 6f at the same venue on his previous outing a month prior. That was on soft/heavy ground as were most of the then 11 year old geldings successes. Unfortunately on the day the ground dried up, officially good to soft with good places which proved too quick for Peter who was outpaced and pulled up on the final circuit.
Later that season Peter went on to win at Perth ridden by Richard Johnson over 3 miles, on heavy ground of course. Incidentally, that win was the 3rd leg of a treble on the card for the stable!!

Wouldn't Peter have loved the ground for Saturday's meeting.
Advance going is given as heavy by Newcastle's James Armstrong but there is more rain forecast overnight and so an 8am inspection will be held to decide if racing can go ahead.

It is hoped racing is possible at Newcastle and into next week too as there are a whole host of stable inmates desperate for a run. Just two for now though, Stainsby Girl is the hurdle which follows on from the Eider at 3.20pm and then Keyboard Gangster after that at 3.55pm.

To Stainsby Girl first. She faces just 5 opponents in the 2m mares novice hurdle and on all known form she looks the one to beat.
That said, there are 2 or 3 interesting runners.

The full range of form books is required to analyse Mick Easterby's 5 year old mare Aphaea. She has sandwiched in a Point win between 2 wins on the flat (over 8f and 14f), although was pulled up on her run in a 2½ mile hurdle at Wetherby on Boxing Day.
Another Point winner is Rose Dobbin's Rules debutant Wild Polly. It was a race that contained some nice horses for the future in behind with 3 winners in Points/Under Rules in close proximity whilst a faller has been listed placed over hurdles.
Dara De Janeiro is having her third run on the back on promising placed efforts in a bumper and a hurdle. And the field is completed by a couple of 5 year olds who seem sure to improve with more time and experience.

Stainsby Girl is inclined to race keenly and a larger field may have helped in that respect, but you can only play with the cards you're dealt so we hope our mare can put in a bold show.

 
Stainsby Girl (Laura)

35 minutes later, another our ours who can race keenly - Keyboard Gangster - takes his place in the Class 2 0-150 handicap hurdle.

The top weight is the Australian trained Big Blue who has come over with the Cheltenham Festival in mind (4 entries). He's had a couple of runs in graded races but this is his first attempt at handicap company.  Didn't run badly at Naas last time when 6th and he could spring a surprise off OR140.
Next in the weights are couple of quite useful horses who've both been lightly raced over the last 18 months. Ex-Alan King trained Minella Charmer has regained his sparkle since Jimmy Moffat dropped him back in trip to 2 miles, and the heavy going will suit. Ruth Jefferson's Secrete Storm loves the mud but his best form has been over further.

Mcgowan's Pass is in form, acts on heavy and his 2nd place to The Con Man at Kelso over further reads well. He'll benefit from the drop back to the minimum trip here.

Michael Scudamore's yard is in top form with 3 winners from the last 4 runners, including an across the card double in the bumper finales on Friday. Thor De Cerisy represents the yard for owner Lynne Maclennan and runs here on the back of a 1st time wind operation. He was a progressive horse prior to that so he could be competitive here.

The pick of Antunes' form has been on a sound surface but Skelton's Southern raider was well beaten by Secrete Storm last time out. That was over 2m 4f and he may be able to reverse that run over the 2 mile trip here.

Keyboard Gangster has taken his time to show his usual sparkle at home this season but there are promising signs in recent weeks. Having said that we'd imagine he'd need the run. As you can gleam from the above preview, this is an excellent, competitive hurdle and hard to discount any runner.

Callum takes both rides and good luck to all connections.

 
Keyboard Gangster