6.40pm Newcastle Tips & Betting Preview 19/09/2017

A numerically competitive handicap, despite the low grade for the first of three previews for the evening card at Newcastle. Read on for our expert tip and runner by runner guide to the race.

IN SUMMARY: GALILEE CHAPEL has not shown much this season but he is back on his most recent winning mark on a surface he has enjoyed in the past, he could be ready to strike once more. Bahkit looks the main danger given that the form of his recent Ripon win has been franked with both the second and third winning since. Both Warfare and Spirit Of The Vale have plenty of form in the book to suggest that they have an each way chance.

1 GALILEE CHAPEL – Ran up a strong sequence of form in 2016, winning four times including over this course and distance. He has struggled with an inflated mark back on turf so far in 2017 but returns to the Tapeta from the same level where he won last December. A win and three places from five starts here shows that he enjoys his racing at this venue, he is weighted to outrun his price, looking a solid each way contender in this contest.

2 FALCON’S FIRE – Has slipped to a very tempting rating judged on his form in 2016 including a win at this track over a mile and a half. He has been campaigned over further so far this season, his two best runs both coming over fourteen furlongs. The drop back to ten has to be a concern as he only has one pace, so it isn’t hard to look elsewhere.

3 PERCEIVED – A mile and a quarter suits her well and she is handily treated on the best of her form. That has all come on turf however, the pick of her efforts on artificial surfaces a long way below what she has done on the grass. She has beaten just four rivals home in three starts on the Tapeta so needs others to underperform if she is to score.

4 WARFARE – More than two years since he last got his head in front, his two All-Weather wins coming on Fibresand and Polytrack. Despite being 0/10 on Tapeta, he has hit the frame on four occasions. Those were all from within the 70’s so having dropped to 60, he is well treated if able to tap back into his best form.

5 BAHKIT – Sprung a 66/1 shock on his handicap debut, making every yard of the running in fine style at Ripon. The second and third have both won since to frank the form well and this is a step down in class for him. A six pound lift in the weights underestimates him for that success so if he handles the different surface, he has to have a big shout in this company.

6 LOPITO DE VEGA – Bitterly disappointing at Catterick last week when conditions were in his favour, he is regressing quicker than the assessor can drop him so far in 2017. He is five pounds below his last winning mark so a return to form could be coming at any moment, but he is tough to support given his recent efforts.

7 LORD KITTEN – Two solid handicap runs at Beverley sandwich his Tapeta debut which was poor by comparison, but the headgear was missing. Those runs give the impression that he should have at least an each way chance from this mark though a wide draw for this prominent racer is a slight concern.

8 DIAMOND RUNNER – Suffered a rare blemish on an otherwise consistent profile last time out over a mile. He has been placed on both trips to this track from lower marks so if that latest effort can be dismissed, he would have an each way chance once more but chances are he is a little too far up the weights to get his head in front.

9 DREAM FREE – Alternating solid efforts with poor ones so far this season, he makes his Tapeta debut here. Six pounds lower than when third on his 2017 return, he is well enough treated if he is on a going day but he is not an easy one to trust on his previous form.

10 SPIRIT OF THE VALE – Just 2/25 in her career but both wins have come over this course and distance. She also boasts a pair of runner-up efforts from just five career runs here so she needs respect whenever she makes a visit to this venue. She was beaten a long way last time over an extra quarter mile when missing her usual tongue strap but with that quickly refitted, she should be in the mix once more.

11 STUN GUN – Very disappointing both on the flat and over hurdles for the majority of the year. The best of this form has all come on artificial surfaces so he should be much happier now that he is off the grass but he would make an awful lot more appeal if he was on the Fibresand.

12 MIDNIGHT MAN – Best of his form has come over a mile, notably this season when first time up at Southwell. He ran horribly in a visor last time so it’s no surprise that connections have removed that headgear. He is six pounds below that Southwell placing so is fairly weighted if he can rediscover his form but perhaps a return to that track would see him in a better light.

13 KNIGHTSBRIDGE LIAM – Yet to get his head in front in ten starts but has shown a few glimmers of promise. He wasn’t beaten far in a Beverley seller recently over an extra quarter of a mile, also runner-up over just shy of this trip on the Wolverhampton Tapeta. The surface won’t be a problem for him then nor the trip so he is another for whom an each way case can be made, with the three-year-old still open to a little more improvement.

14 SHAKABULA – Has shown no more than the faintest flicker of form so far, including at this track. He has looked weak in the finish a couple of times so it may be that he just needs a little more time to mature before he is capable of winning but he is decent hands to do so.