Tonight is the final Category 1 decider of 2021 with Newcastle taking centre stage for the All England Cup. A competitive looking renewal, it looks a fitting end to the year.
Stan to Take Advantage of Inside Draw
Taking control of the inside early is going to play a huge part in how the feature turns out at 20.52. Skywalker Stan walked out of this box in the heats but he smashed the lids down in a trial ahead of the competition from here.
Ted Soppitt’s star has become an excellent recruit this year, winning the Arc Puppy Cup at Sunderland back in the summer. If he is sporting his trapping boots tonight, he can end his season with another big success.
Training Winners Is Soppitt’s Forte
Soppitt can get his night off to the perfect start courtesy of Skywalker Forte in the puppy contest at 18.59. He trialled impressively for one of his age around this track ahead of a successful debut here in October.
That remains his sole race at this venue, keeping strong company since. Third in the final of the Puppy Derby at Towcester most recently, he ran a smart yardstick in Trumps Benefit to three lengths prior to that at Nottingham. That form stands out here.
Jenny to Return to Peak Form
October 2020 was the last time that Acomb Jenny won at Newcastle but she has tended to do her winning in bunches in her career so having returned to form at Sheffield last time out, this looks the right time to catch her.
This is a weaker looking contest than most of those that she has run in so far this year and if able to get anywhere close to the form she showed when winning here in 2020 for Kevin Ferguson, she can take the 19.16.
Mccombe Has Ashbank Fulfilling His Promise
Ashbank Danroby took a big step towards being able to fulfil his potential last week. June McCombe and connections have had to be patient with him, unable to get a run of races into him but perhaps now will be the start of exactly that.
He has always shown plenty of natural pace in trials as well as when he was trained in Ireland and should be able to overcome a slightly tricky draw to land the British Bred Maiden final at 19.34.
Narcos to Wave Tata to Her Rivals
One of the most interesting runners for the future on the card is George Cunningham’s Narcos Tata in the 20.06. She clocked an excellent 28.59 at Clonmel in October, running just once more in Ireland.
She has produced some excellent trials at Newcastle and while she will not be able to get on the bunny quite as easily here as she has in those practice efforts, she still makes plenty of appeal to win on her British debut.