In the 188Bet Casino Handicap (8.15) at Newcastle on Wednesday evening, Pickett’s Charge is 4lb higher in the weights than when second in a 0-80 apprentice handicap at York last month but, back on Tapeta and eased slightly in grade, may be able to regain the winning thread. Brian Ellison’s five-year-old had previously completed a hat-trick, including a course and distance win in June, and has recorded three of his five career wins on the Tapeta surface at High Gosforth Park.
The Clodovil gelding is on a career-high mark, but his York effort was arguably his best yet and he looks far from impossibly handicapped, especially with talented apprentice Ben Robinson taking off 3lb. Twin Appeal, who finished fourth at York, won a similar race to this one at Beverley next time out, so the form looks solid enough and Pickett’s Charge appears to be holding his form well. Stepping back up to a mile should prove no hindrance and he can, hopefully, provided another winner for the North Yorkshire trainer, who already has a healthy 9-38 (24%) strike rate with his older horses at Wolverhampton this season, for an equally healthy level stakes profit of 28.16 points.
Selection: Newcastle 8.15 Pickett’s Charge to win 9/2