Newcastle Placepot picks: Richard Birch casts his eye over tricky all-weather card

The £50,000 Placepot guarantee is on offer for Monday’s meeting at Newcastle, where Robusto can get punters off to a flying start in leg one (4.55).

The Sir Mark Prescott-trained three-year-old has shown consistent form in middle-distance handicaps this summer, and Morgan Cole’s 5lb claim could prove decisive.

The well-handicapped Irv takes the eye in leg two (5.30), with course-and-distance winner Spirit Of Ash also capable of a big run.

Miaswell shaped nicely on his debut at Thirsk this month when a three-and-a-half-length second to Thyer. The David O’Meara-trained colt seems sure to improve for that initial outing, and normal improvement should give him the edge over Chiefman in leg three (6.00).

Polly The Rocket and Hooray For Hazel, who sports first-time cheekpieces, are tentative choices for a tricky leg four (6.30), while Dream Final and Aurora Glory may be worth siding with in leg five (7.00).

Show Compassion ran well at Wolverhampton last time and a reproduction might be good enough to land the final leg (7.30).

Laertes, better than the bare form of his Chelmsford fifth to Boom The Groom on his debut for Mick Appleby, is also worth considering.

Newcastle Placepot perm

4.55
8 Robusto

5.30
3 Irv
7 Spirit Of Ash

6.00
2 Miaswell

6.30
1 Polly The Rocket
6 Hooray For Hazel

7.00
3 Dream Final
5 Aurora Glory

7.30
1 Show Compassion
8 Laertes

1x2x1x2x2x2 = 16 lines

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