Newcastle Placepot picks: Paul Kealy has a crack at the £50k guaranteed pool on Friday

There are plenty of competitive, low-grade races for Placepot punters to deal with at Newcastle, and despite the first (4.25) looking very open I'm going to start with a banker.

Cusack has run his best three races according to Racing Post Ratings on his last three runs, and competes off a 1lb lower mark than when finishing third of 11 in a much better contest than this over course and distance two weeks ago (was 2lb out of the handicap in that Class 4).

In the next (5.00) Artisan Dancer, who ran out of room close home when going for the four-timer two weeks ago, should make amends. He was starting to bear down on the leaders when the door closed, and the step up to 2m½f should suit.

In the third (5.30), Elegant Madame will find this much easier than when running in Listed company in Ireland last time, but I reckon recent Catterick winner Last Applause is the one to beat. Only seven run, though, so both go in.

The first nursery (6.00) sent me round in circles, but the three I came down on, with no particular confidence, were Torvar, Moyola and Dadas Boy.

It was pretty much the same story with the second nursery, too, with Mart, Horse Whisperer and Macarone at the top of a very long shortlist.

It's almost a relief to close with a maiden (7.00), albeit a tricky one as the two form horses – Moon Flight and Ribble Rouser – both ran poorly last time. Light Speed, who showed some promise at Southwell on his debut, goes in with the former.

Newcastle Placepot perm

4.25
1 Cusack

5.00
6 Artisan Dancer

5.30
1 Elegant Madame
2 Last Applause

6.00
1 Torvar
3 Moyola
10 Dadas Boy

6.30
2 Mart
4 Horse Whisperer
5 Macarone

7.00
1 Light Speed
2 Moon Flight

1 x 1 x 2 x 3 x 3 x 2 = 36 lines

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