2024 on Sky Sports Racing kicks off in style featuring All-Weather Championships Trials Day at Newcastle; Newbury has joined the Sky Sports Racing family, with every race live, beginning on January 17
Monday 1 January 2024 07:34, UK
There are six £45,000 handicaps to enjoy on the first ever All-Weather Championships Trials Day at Newcastle on New Year’s Day, all live on Sky Sports Racing.
Former Group Two and Royal Ascot hero Sir Busker tops of terrific 13-runner field for the Boost Your Acca-Fenwa With BetUK Handicap (3.10).
William Knight's star needs to overturn form from last time out when a-length-and-a-quarter behind the re-opposing To Catch A Thief here last month.
William Haggas' progressive four-year-old, a son of Cracksman, bids for a hat-trick but will however have to deal with a 9lb swing in the weights and it may not be a foregone conclusion.
Mick Appleby and shrewd owners The Horse Watchers will have plenty to say with Penzance also seeking a hat-trick following two easy wins over this trip at Chelmsford.
Those wins came over fellow contenders King's Code & Storm Catcher and he may have further improvement in him from a 9lb higher mark.
The Always Gamble Responsibly With BetUK Handicap (5.15) looks a hyper-competitive affair with Richard Hannon's top weight Tacarib Bay holding form of a higher level having won the Listed Wentworth Stakes over this course and distance on November 11.
On that day he saw off the re-opposing Albasheer and the five-year-old looks a good place to start when assessing the main protagonists despite a 7lb swing at the weights.
William Haggas looks to have yet another strong contender in Brewing, who overcame a 218-day break to win comfortably here on November 11 in a race where Gisburn looked a shade unlucky.
Elsewhere, a new era dawns at Beckhampton Stables as Harry Charlton sends out a first runner under his own name after father Roger vacated his place on the training licence. Batal Dubai looks to give Harry a flying start in the Middleham Park colours.
Hollie Doyle and Tom Marquand have raced back from Japan with the promise of some quality rides at Newcastle and wife and husband face-off in the BetMGM: It's Showtime Handicap (3.45).
Doyle and Tempus top the weights as Archie Watson's eight-year-old makes just a second start since finishing seventh in the Royal Hunt Cup at Royal Ascot.
Marquand is booked for the first time to ride Julie Camacho's Symbol Of Light, a valiant fourth in the Seaton Delaval Handicap here back in June.
Andrew Balding's Light Speed could well be popular having won three of five starts on the All-Weather, while Richard Fahey's Master Zoffany merits plenty of respect back at the scene of his latest win.
Monday racecards | Latest Sky Bet odds
Watch every race from Newcastle all live on Sky Sports Racing on Monday, January 1.
