BALQAA is ripe to repeat last month’s course-and-distance success as she locks horns with nine rivals for the MansionBet Proud Partners Of AWC Handicap (5.30) at Newcastle today.
The Ivan Furtado-trained daughter of Cable Bay was having her first outing since a wind operation when making her Newcastle debut over a mile on January 20.
Wearing the cheekpieces that are retained today, Sean Levey’s mount shrugged aside a 79-day absence to beat Going Underground by a length and a half.
The handicapper’s reaction, a 2lb rise in the weights, could have been worse and Balqaa has the lightly raced profile – this is her seventh outing, and her fourth on the all-weather – to continue progressing.
In the opening Betway Handicap, ATHMAD is fancied to give his five opponents weight and a beating.
Although he has won just one of 18 attempts on turf, Ruth Carr’s gelded son of Oympic Glory has a more fruitful 6-19 strike-rate on the all-weather.
Athmad was back to winning form at Wolverhampton nine days ago, beating Precision Storm by a neck from a British Horseracing Authority rating of 80.
A nudge up to 81 still leaves Paul Mulrennan’s partner 1lb beneath the mark from which he scored over course and distance last August, and another good account is on the cards.
MONDAY'S SELECTIONS
CARLISLE
1.50 HELTENHAM
2.25 SILVER FLYER
3.00 GOT TRUMPED
3.35 MONSIEUR POM POM
4.05 BAVINGTON BOB
4.37 WEST TO THE BRIDGE
5.07 WALK IN MY SHOES
DUNDALK
3.15 COLLECTIVE POWER
3.45 BARBADOS
4.15 ANGEL GIRL
4.45 PANDEMIC PRINCESS
5.15 OBVLIVIATE
5.45 WYCHWOOD WHISPER
6.15 ELLABELLA
6.45 ACQUIESCENT
NEWCASTLE
5.00 ATHMAD (NB)
5.30 BALQAA (NAP)
6.00 NATIVE ANGEL
6.30 WESTERN MUSIC
7.00 BURROWS SEESIDE
7.30 HIGH VELOCITY
DOUBLE: BALQAA and ATHMAD
