Newcastle plays host to a couple of the region's favourite staying chasers this afternoon, Random Harvest and Weaver George, both of whom are poised to play a leading role in the feature event on the card, the Joan Lowery Handicap Chase.

At 14 and 13 years of age respectively, it would be reasonable to assume the pair would be well past their sell-by dates. But far from being the case, Random Harvest won last time out at Wetherby, while Weaver George shaped as if he was about to strike form when a creditable fifth over course and distance last time out.

It's a tough call between the two, however, I just give the nod to Wilf Storey's Consett-based Weaver George (4.35), a proven fast ground performer bidding to record a quite remarkable 21st career success in the £8,500 race.

Former champion, point-to-point rider Carrie Ford, can not only hold her own against professional jockeys, she is also entitled to claim a valuable 5lb allowance when taking them on.

Carrie has struck up an excellent relationship with Brown Teddy (4.05), set to carry a double penalty totalling 12lb in the Northumberland Plate Badges Novices' Hurdle as a consequence of successive victories at Musselburgh and Huntingdon. Carrie's allowance at least helps go some way to alleviating the effects of the extra lead in her saddle, and in any case I believe Brown Teddy will simply prove too good for his rivals in the two-and-half-mile contest.

Nottingham stages easily the most valuable race of the day, the listed £32,000 Further Flight Stakes over one mile and six furlongs. There's plenty of quality amongst the 12-runner line-up, including Mesmeric, Court Shareef, and Darasim, respectively second, third, and fourth behind David Loder's Razkalla at Doncaster's Lincoln meeting.

That race was over 12 furlongs and Darasim (3.45) will be the better suited of the trio by the extra quarter of a mile they now have to travel. Kevin Darley's mount is a genuine front-runner, capable of winding up the pace and then repelling all-comers when battle commences up the home straight.

Mark Johnston felt his horse would probably need the outing fitness-wise at Doncaster and Darley wasn't hard on Darasim once they had been headed on the Town Moor. I think we'll now see a leaner, meaner Darasim, who will be much harder to pass this time round.

In the later five-furlong dash for the April HBLB Conditions Stakes John Dunlop's Hufflepuff (4.45) has to be of interest having crowned a successful 2002 campaign by routing a decent field of sprinters at Newmarket in September. Blinding speed from the gate is her forte and there'll be no hanging around in the saddle from Pat Eddery, sure to play his hand early on in an attempt to make it a pillar-to-post win.

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