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Alan Dudman is in fine tipping form and he is playing a multiple at Newcastle
Castle to get back on track off good mark
Back Castle Rushen @ 9/4 in the 15:00 at Newcastle
What a terrific effort from Murbih yesterday to make all and win at Wolverhampton. He scored at a drifting BSP 11.5 for the column, to add to the Monday and Sunday winners of 11.5 and 5.19.
The each-way part of the 54/1 double was landed with Haven Lady's second, but she hit 1.031/33 in-running to get us ever so close to that multiple.
Wednesday's action and the first leg of the double centres around the Nicky Richards-trained Castle Rushen, as the trainer has to be considered with his runners at the moment with how well his horses have been running.
Richards is 7-18 at 39% in the last two weeks and the angle of the first-time cheekpieces on the selection is a plus.
His four runs over fences this season have been disastrous, and you might recall I had this horse in the column in late January in a 3m Newcastle Handicap Chase when he looked in contention before a fairly soft unseat as Brian Hughes' sticking abilities were non-existent.
His jumping was poor in that anyway, and with two unseats this term, Richards has drawn stumps on the chasing and switches him back to hurdles.
The 8yo looked a promising novice hurdler in his younger days, and he seemed to love Ayr and testing ground.
Today he has the long straight, the stamina and his ground. And off a good mark, he looks strong bet material.
Row in with Arctic for back to back wins
Back Artic Row @ 6/4 in the 16:45 at Newcastle
Nothing too fancy in terms of price for Wednesday's duo, but at least Arctic Row drifted slightly from 5/4 to 6/4 this morning, and I don't mind that at all, and he runs for another trainer hitting some form in Nick Alexander.
The yard have had a low-key campaign, but Alexander's Stainsby Girl sealed a double for the column last week, and Arctic Row has the ability and form to win in this low grade to repeat the trick.
He scored by 1L last time out at Ayr to win off 89 on his handicap debut, and it was a fair improvement on what we had seen previously.
The 6yo still can brush up on his jumping, but he stayed well last time on good ground. And Newcastle to Ayr form is another tactic I like to use.
It's a lot deeper today in terms of the going, but it's not a deep race at all, far from it.