Paul Kealy's play of the day at Newcastle

Heathcliff

3.35 Newcastle

Heathcliff, who was sixth of the eight runners behind Mount Athos at Kempton, drops back in trip for the BetUK All-Weather Sprint Handicap.

The James Fanshawe-trained four-year-old was just as much of an eyecatcher as Popmaster, as he stumbled at the start and suffered even more interference in the straight, finishing pretty much on the bridle despite being beaten only three lengths.

Since getting off the mark on his handicap debut off a rating of just 69 over 7f at Kempton almost exactly a year ago, he has been massively progressive and he strikes me as a 100-plus handicapper waiting to happen.

Whether that will be over 6f or 7f remains to be seen, but with a better run through he'd have gone very close in the 6f handicap won by Marshman over this course and distance in January and he's now 7lb better off with the winner.

Heathcliff can be a bit of a hostage to fortune given the way he is ridden, but this son of a half-sister to the very smart all-weather sprinters Harry's Bar and Mazzini strikes me as being potentially the best-handicapped horse in this race by some way.

Heathcliff15:35 Newcastle (A.W)

View Racecard

Jky: David Egan Tnr: James Fanshawe

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Paul Kealy has five tips for a bumper day of TV action including one 'who is well worth an each-way bet' at Newcastle  

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