Clovis Island heads maiden hurdle field at Hexham where One Mill Harbour and Artemis Kimbo are set to clash; Alligator Alley and Spangled Mac headline sprint contenders at Newcastle; watch all the action live on Sky Sports Racing on Friday
Thursday 9 November 2023 13:41, UK
All eyes will be on the North East on Sky Sports Racing on Friday with afternoon jumps action from Hexham (12.25 to 3.20) and an all-weather card from Newcastle (3.08 to 7.20) both live.
There are 13 runners declared for the nationalrail.com Railway Map Of Britain Maiden Hurdle (1.35) at Hexham with Clovis Island heading the field. Nicky Richards' charge is making his debut over hurdles after comfortably winning a bumper at the track back in March, with Sean Quinlan once again on board.
James Moffatt's Great Pepper, the mount of Charlotte Jones, is also a hurdling debutant after notching back-to-back point-to-point wins, while Dan Skelton sends Mumford's Magic north again after he finished third at the track last time out.
Tommy Johnson is another to consider after coming a promising second behind Mellificent on his debut at Carlisle last month.
Jimmy Chou Pecos AA travels over from Ireland for John McConnell and Dylan Johnston, while Lucinda Russell will be hoping Killybegs Jet Lady can improve on her distant ninth-placed finish on her hurdles bow.
One Mill Harbour bids for further success in the Sidgwick Memorial Novices' Handicap Chase (2.10).
Moffatt's six-year-old has improved for the switch to chasing, winning two of his three starts including on stable debut at Carlisle last month, and looks the one to beat in the two-mile contest under Jones.
Skelton's Artemis Kimbo rates the big danger having won a Leicester maiden hurdle last season and can improve now tackling handicap company.
Of the others, Les's Legacy bids to go one better than when second on his last two starts, while Leading Force has been declared a non-runner.
Spangled Mac and Alligator Alley headline a field of nine for the Always Gamble Responsibly With BetUK Handicap (4.45) over five furlongs at Newcastle.
Alligator Alley relishes the all-weather surface and, having scored in similar company over this course and distance in August, could be hard to beat under David Nolan.
George Boughey's Spangled Mac disappointed when favourite at Ascot in September but a return to the form that saw him win at Newbury in August would see him go close switched to the AW.
Others to note include recent Lingfield victor Bedford Flyer, while Mondammej should not be underestimated having slipped to an attractive mark.