- Desert Gulf aiming to maintain unbeaten record
Tuesday's eight-race programme at Newcastle is headlined by the first Fast-Track Qualifier of the season, with five runners set to line up in the Play Ladbrokes 5-A-Side On Football Conditions Stakes (3.35pm) over six furlongs.
The winner of the Tapeta contest will secure a starting berth in the Ladbrokes Three-Year-Old All-Weather Championship over the same distance on Finals Day.
Yazaman (William Haggas/Danny Tudhope) has an official rating of 101 after several good efforts in Pattern company, most notably when second in the G2 July Stakes at Newmarket. He wears cheekpieces for the first time after coming fourth in the G3 Tattersalls Stakes at Newmarket on September 24.
Middleham trainer Karl Burke, who landed this race in 2017 with Beatbox Rhythm, is represented by Significantly (Clifford Lee). The Garswood colt has made the frame in six of his seven starts, including a second in the Listed Dragon Stakes at Sandown Park in July.
Desert Gulf (William Knight/Callum Shepherd) is one of two runners in the race with winning form on the All-Weather. Saif Ali’s Kodiac colt produced a promising debut performance at Wolverhampton on September 29, when he defeated 99-rated rival Lauded by a neck.
Trainer William Knight said: “I was impressed by Desert Gulf at Wolverhampton, being able to beat that horse of Tom Dascombe’s, as our horses usually improve a good bit from their first run.
“I expected him to run well but to win was a bit of a surprise, simply because of what we had done with him at home. We had left plenty to work on, even though he had been showing up quite nicely in his work.
“I expect the track at Newcastle to really suit him. William Haggas’ horse sets a good standard, but I think Desert Gulf could be pretty smart.”
Knight has 21 per cent strike rate (three winners from 14 runners) on the All-Weather at Newcastle and a level stakes profit of +£31.50.
The other runner with All-Weather form is Victory Heights (James Tate/P J McDonald), a winner at Newcastle in June who is having his second start since undergoing wind surgery.
Blackberry (Bryan Smart/Graham Lee), the only filly in the field, has won three of her four starts on turf, latterly coming from last to first in a conditions race at Musselburgh on September 12. She wears a hood for the first time.
