Trainer John Quinn's decision to bypass last week's Royal Ascot meeting with Caribbean Coral to keep him for Newcastle is expected to pay handsome dividends tomorrow evening.
The £30,000 Northern Rock Gosforth Park Cup is the target for the Ryedale sprinter, who is napped to oblige in the hands of Robert Winston, who won last year's race on Mornin Reserves.
Formerly trained at Newmarket by Chris Wall, Caribbean Coral has proved a good buy for Quinn, who placed him to win a valuable handicap at Epsom on Derby Day.
That success, worth some £40,000 to the winner, effectively recouped the horse's purchase price in one hit.
The possibility of the five-year-old turning out again for last week's Wokingham Handicap at the big Ascot meeting was considered by Quinn, but a 7lb penalty swayed him against making the trip. Instead, Caribbean Coral heads to Newcastle, racing off a mark just 4lb higher than his Epsom victory.
Also in the field are Henry Hall, a past a winner of the Gosforth Park Cup, and recent York winner Piccled, but I fancy Caribbean Coral to win.
Kingsdon lines up for the cantorodds.com Handicap for amateur riders in a bid to continue his winning sequence.
The seven-year-old, trained by Tim FitzGerald, has won his last four races and comes here in great heart. Furthermore, he will have the assistance of the experienced Nicky Tinkler.
The promising Long Road (8.25) is another to note at Newcastle on a programme which precedes Saturday's £180,000 Northumberland Plate.
Tomorrow's afternoon action includes a meeting at Folkestone, which is the target for Jonny Ebeneezer. The five-year-old, trained by David Flood, has been running consistently well in recent weeks and the six furlongs Mark Rake Claiming Stakes gives him an exceelent opportunity to return to the winning trail.
James Toller has a promising sprinter on his hands in the shape of Swinbrook, who I expect to get off the mark in the John Atkins Maiden Stakes over five furlongs. Seb Sanders has been booked for the mount on the three-year-old.
Mark Brisbourne and his apprentice rider Ben Swarbrick are enjoying a successful association and they can chalk-up another success, courtesy of Got To Be Cash in the Mike White Fillies' Handicap over a mile and a quarter.
This consistent performer is a course and distance winner.
Friday's tips:
Newcastle
6.55 Kingsdon, 7.25 Caribbean Coral (Nap), 7.55 Rampage, 8.25 Long Road, 8.55 Pays d'Amour, 9.25 Icenaslice.
Folkestone
2.30 Laconicos, 3.00 Jonny Ebeneezer, 3.30 Appetina, 4.00 Swinbrook, 4.30 Absinther, 5.00 Got To Be Cash.
l Tomorrow's other meetings are at Market Rasen (afternoon, National Hunt), Newmarket (evening, Flat) and Southwell (afternoon, Flat on all-weather track).
Updated: 11:58 Thursday, June 24, 2004
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