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Previews14 January 2025

'As long as they go a gallop he must be in with a shout' - analysis and quotes for the sprint handicap at Newcastle

Pals Battalion: bidding for a hat-trick
Pals Battalion: bidding for a hat-trickCredit: GROSSICK RACING 07710461723

This race features two success stories in the all-weather sprinting ranks this winter as Mondammej faces Pals Battalion. 

Mondammej will be a familiar name to a casual Saturday audience. He has contested just about every major 5f handicap there is on the turf and has come to life in recent weeks on the sand after a lengthy spell in the doldrums, with wind surgery making all the difference. 

He put up his highest Racing Post Rating in 18 months (26 starts) when an authoritative winner here last week over the minimum distance. However, 6f is arguably a shade further than ideal for this strong traveller, who hasn't scored over the trip since November 2020.

Pals Battalion, conversely, thrives for a well-run 6f. He is on a hat-trick and a 2lb rise for his recent course-and-distance success may be lenient given the in-running trouble he encountered before running out a smooth winner.

We can expect How Impressive, who shares ownership with Pals Battalion, to cut out the early fractions, and a strongly run race should enable the interesting Airman to settle better. He stands out as the early value and chief threat to Pals Battalion. 

The lightly raced four-year-old pulled too hard in a better race at Wolverhampton last time, but kept on well in the circumstances and his connections deemed him worthy of a shot at a Commonwealth Cup trial last spring. 

Airman's previous third at Southwell behind high-class sprint handicappers Equilateral and Kylian was another creditable performance in the context of this Class 4.
Race analysis by Robbie Wilders


What they say

Martin Dixon, part-owner of Daring Legend
He's coming back off a break and it was felt he needed to strengthen up a bit last year. Hopefully, there will still be some improvement in him as a four-year-old as he strengthens into his frame. The run might well bring him forward, but he's won over this course and distance.

Mick Prince, racing manager of Middleham Park Racing, owners of Pals Battalion and How Impressive
We've got opposite style horses as Pals Battalion wants cover and How Impressive likes to go forward so hopefully, however the race pans out, we'll have either base covered. Pals Battalion is in good form and likes a strongly run six furlongs, so Newcastle suits him well. How Impressive has had a prolific 18 months but the handicapper got to him in the end. There'll be a point where he'll run himself back into form and be prolific again – whether that will be here we wouldn't know.

Antony Brittain, trainer of Mondammej
The wind op has helped him. He did it well there last time and I'd love to have another five-furlong race at Newcastle, but there doesn't seem to be anything for the rest of January. We're trying him over six and he was placed at that trip here on his penultimate start. He may be not as effective over six but as long as they go a gallop – and it looks like there's a bit of pace – he must be in with a shout. Pals Battalion looks the one to beat because he did it impressively last time and is probably more suited to six than us, but we're in good form and we'll take our chance.
Reporting by Andrew Dietz


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