A low grade finale, and very much a case of after the Lord Mayor's show on an otherwise stellar midweek AW card. Confidence restored with a recent selling victory at Wolverhampton,
Al Khan competes off a mark which is 21lb (& three grades lower) than when finishing fifth to Suzi's Connoisseur in the 7f Class 2 handicap on this card in 2017. Jim Goldie has enjoyed a fine calendar year so far at Gosforth Park, and his mare
Thorntoun Lady has claims, as does the ever consistent but infrequent winner
Athollblair Boy.
Symbolic Star is another who should never be discounted at Newcastle, but 1m Class 6 handicaps are more his ideal match, so the AW debutante
HITMAN is taken to mow down his rivals in a very winnable race. Rebecca Bastiman has given her horse a break since winning over this trip at Redcar in October, but a 4lb rise in the weights appears to be very fair, with his other career victory (for William Muir in July 2016) coming off a mark of 74; 8lb higher than today's perch of 66.
- Hitman
- Thorntoun Lady
- Athollblair Boy