Passing Pleasure will look to make it three wins on the spin for the Oliver Greenall and Josh Guerriero combination when he lines up for Tuesday’s feature race at Newcastle.
4.05 Newcastle – In-form Passing Pleasure bids to complete hat-trick
A field of eight go to post in the penultimate Virgin Bet A Good Bet Handicap Chase at Newcastle over the extended two miles and seven furlongs trip.
Greenall and Guerriero’s Passing Pleasure heads the weights and the gelding will look to remain unbeaten for the training team and complete the hat-trick. Having not managed to record a win for Lawney Hill in four attempts under rules, the six-year-old moved yards and has won on both starts, including on chase debut last-time-out at Catterick, and will put his unbeaten record for his new stable on the line on this step up in trip.
Lucinda Russell and Michael Scudamore will be hoping a wind operation can have the desired effect on Cosmic Blizzard, who after a career-best effort at Kelso two starts back, disappointed when being pulled up over this course and distance last time out.
The veteran Uptown Harry has been in fair form for Jane Walton with two seconds and a win from his last three starts. He may still have more left in the tank at the age of 12 as he returns to a course and distance that he has a 100 per cent strike rate at.
Dollar Collar, Cowboy Cooper and Valence d’Aumont are others to note.
5.25 Wolverhampton – Gemmari and Shrimp Shady feature
As many as nine runners are set to go to post for the Midnite Are Upping The Betting Game Handicap, with the Richard Hannon-trained Gemmari a standout contender. This son of Expert Eye is bidding to land a fourth win from his last six starts. After successive victories on the all-weather at the start of last year, the four-year-old underwent a gelding operation and had 228-days off the track before returning at Kempton in October. He then recorded a third success from his last five runs last time out at Chelmsford and now bids to land another success off a career-high mark.
Shrimp Shady has failed to justify favouritism the last twice for Andrew Balding but has ran a number of respectable efforts on the all-weather. The four-year-old now steps up in trip to 1m 6f for the first time for a yard that is in red-hot form.
Previous course and distance winner Dance Time returns to Dunstall Park, where he was successful in November last year. David Loughnane’s six-year-old mare drops back in trip having recently been running over the two-mile distance and the jockey booking of Rossa Ryan is a boost to the mare’s chances.
Stuart Williams’ Bystander is an intriguing contender as he steps up to 14 furlongs for the first time. Of the others, Eve Johnson Houghton’s Robusto is another to keep an eye on with the jockey booking of all-weather champion Billy Loughnane a plus point. Circuit Breaker has been second the last twice and could go one better for the O’Neill team, with Cieren Fallon taking the ride.
6.30 Wolverhampton – Winning machine Beauzon pursues six-timer
Ian Williams’ in-form charge Beauzon will look to complete a run of six straight wins in the Make The Move To Midnite Handicap. After dropping to a career-low mark in January, the cheekpieces returned for the seven-year-old and he recorded a first win since 2024. This success was followed by four more wins at Lingfield and Wolverhampton and he now looks to defy a 5lb rise and land a six-timer, which would see him creep into the top 10 in the All-Weather Horse of the Year standings.
The biggest threat to Beauzon’s return to the winners’ enclosure may come from Woodhay Whisper, who goes for Dylan Hogan and Jack Jones. He scored over this course and six-furlong distance two starts back and looks to notch a third win at Dunstall Park.
Mart is an intriguing contender for Dylan Cunha, despite the fact he has not got his head in front since May. This horse has hit the post a number of times since, however, and is now rated 3lb below his last winning mark.
Charlie Wallis will be hoping Due Date can return to the form of last autumn when recording a hat-trick over six furlongs, while Initial Blue (for Dr Richard Newland and Jamie Insole) will be bidding to land back-to-back successes, having struck gold at Kempton last month.
