After our success at Wetherby's Charlie Hall meeting it's back to the flat at Redcar, and Newcastle on Tuesday. The going at the time of writing at Redcar is soft, good to soft in places, while up at Newcastle for their evening meeting it is standard on the Tapeta.
Our two year old The Copa King has his second start at 12.40.pm, in division two of the Class 5 novice stakes over seven furlongs, with Aiden Brookes retaining the ride. The Copa King raced over this course and distance 18 days when looking badly in need of the education, so hopefully he will have learnt from that, and gain further experience here.
Frankelio hasn't got his head in front in eight attempts this season, but has been running consistently, with the standout run coming at York back in May when finishing in the runners up spot. At Doncaster on his latest start 10 days ago his jockey Graham Lee reported that 'He was denied a clear run for some distance approaching and passing the two furlong marker,' so in the circumstances he did well to only be beaten by six and a quarter lengths. Graham Lee retains the ride at 1.40.pm, in a 0-80 handicap over seven furlongs.
Our stable star Cornerstone Lad makes his welcome return at 3.10.pm, in a 0-75 handicap over one mile and six furlongs. This will be the fourth season in a row where Cornerstone Lad has warmed up on the flat before returning to the day job. This time around the plan is to go to Wetherby on November 13th to start his second season of chasing, in a Limited handicap. Cornerstone Lad has been pleasing with his homework, and always gives his best in all of his flat races, especially when winning this corresponding event last season, when showing guts to win by a neck under Billy Garritty, who is back in the saddle this time.
The Retriever returns from his summer break, and warms up in this race, for his new season of all weather racing in the months ahead. The Retriever has proved tough, running on 16 occasions between August 2020 to June 2021, where he got his head in front twice. He has been declared for the 3.40.pm, a 0-65 handicap over the straight mile with his regular jockey Aiden Brookes in the saddle. Although he has run OK on occasions on turf, he is yet to place in 10 starts, and this race will blow away any cobwebs.
We also have two runners at Newcastle for their twilight meeting, where we are doubly represented at 4.0.pm, by Carnival Zain, and Gold Zabeel, in a 0-75 handicap over a mile. Carnival Zain will be ridden by Barry McHugh who will be having his first ride for the stable. Carnival Zain was a winner, and placed second from just two starts on the all weather in France at Pornichet-La Baule back in August 2019, but in five starts for us on turf he has failed to reach the frame, although his recent form does suggest he his improving. He can now race from a mark of 66 which is 11lb lower than when finishing sixth on stable debut at York back in July. Gold Zabeel steps up to a mile for the first time in his career, and there have been occasions in his recent runs where he has looked like he has been screaming out for a longer trip. He has an adversity to the stalls, and has lost many lengths at the start on quite a few occasions, although on his latest start at Newcastle a week ago, he got away on terms. The handicapper seems reluctant to drop him too much, but he is now 4lb below his stable debut at Carlisle back in July, his regular jockey Andrew Breslin retains the ride.
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Good luck to the connections, The Rat Pack Racing Club, Forty Forty Twenty, Mrs B M Lofthouse, RM&T Holdings Limited & Partners, Newroc & Partner, and D Hague.
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