Jason Weaver: Don’t Be Surprised if this 10/3 shot wins at Newcastle

Newcastle 18:30 – Fair Cop

This mare would already be worth a pretty penny for the paddocks. However, the Balding team who know the family incredibly well have decided to keep her on the go and must feel she has more to offer. She is returning from near 600 days away from the racetrack but the fact she makes the long trek north suggests she is fit and ready to roll.

Newcastle 19:00 – Don’t Be Surprised

Not sure if he was awkward coming out of the starting stalls last time and that was why he was held up way off the pace, or if he was just given far too much to do. Whatever it was, he did incredibly well to finish with plenty of running. As the only lightly-raced runner in the lineup here he’s open to bucket-loads of improvement.

Let’s hope our pilot is a bit more switched on this evening.

Newcastle 20:00 – Decision Maker

Has slowly been dropping down the handicap from an early rating of 70 and now sits on 54. He actually has got some decent form in a maiden over this course early on in his career that would make him a very strong betting proposition. It’s been a long time coming but he should finally break his duck at the 17th attempt.

Dundalk 18:15 – Ken’s Sam’s

She’s only been with this trainer for four starts but has hardly put a foot wrong so far. Last time she was a little short of racing room, but made rapid headway only to flatten out late on. She is drawn wide so that will probably be factored into the price and given a little luck in-running she can gain another deserved success for her new handler.

Dundalk 19:45 – Sheisdiesel

Proved something of a revelation since stepping up in distance and did us a right favour last time when going back-to-back over slightly shorter. She again takes another step up in distance in tougher company off a higher rating, so has a few things stacked against her. However, she is in flying form and can rack up the three-timer.

Dundalk 20:45 – New Vocation

Jumped out and made all last time under this pilot and was given a little bit of free rein on the front end. That won’t be as easy this time, drawn a little deeper on the track in stall number 10. Surprisingly the handicapper wasn’t overly impressed with the performance last time and the selection has only taken a slight rise in the handicap.

The 6lbs increase shouldn’t be too much extra burden for the legendary trainer, Jim Bolger’s, runner.