Newcastle Tips: Love is in the North-East air

There are five UK and Irish meetings taking place on Thursday and they include the National Hunt card at Newcastle.

Conditions at Gosforth Park are described as ‘Heavy-soft in places’ for the seven-race offering which gets going at 12.05 through until 15:35 and we’ve got a trio to follow on the day.

They include the improving It’s A Love Thing for Sam and Jonathan England, attempting to follow his recent success both over jumps and on the Flat.

Newcastle 14:25 – It’s A Love Thing @ 4/1

The Sam and Jonathan England trainer/jockey partnership will be eager to see more from IT’S A LOVE THING based on the five-year-old’s efforts of late.

An experienced Flat performer for John Butler, his first two starts for this yard saw him going jumping for the first time at Stratford and Worcester in the summer and they weren’t immediately promising.

After a short break, however, he won a Sedgefield maiden (2m1f, good) over timber in October and has since followed that up with a win on Kempton’s Polytrack this month.

He is now handicapped and switches attention to this sphere over timber and there should be more to come from him given he showed a willing and determined attitude in that jumps success last month. He’s got scope for better things.

Newcastle 13:15 – Tune In A Box @ 11/2 

Tom Lacey’s string are starting to find some rhythm with three winners from nine starters of late and an improved showing from TUNE IN A BOX is forecast in this Sportvision Stadia & Event Branding Handicap Hurdle over just shy of three-miles.

The Jukebox gelding showed some ability in the spring in a bumper at Taunton and a Plumpton maiden hurdle.

He’s had two more runs since returning from a break and his latest effort at Wetherby (2m3½f, soft) saw him finish in midpack at a big price.

He was well down the 18-strong field for much of that contest but appeared to be getting the hang of things as they closed in on the finish.

He makes this handicap bow at a low level and should improve, with the step up in trip also looking a plus. With the yard in form, and some friendship in the early market, he’s one to note in this Betfred Super Extra Place Race (four places).

Newcastle 15:00 – Hello Judge @ 5/2

Ann Hamilton’s HELLO JUDGE is fancied to carry on his recent improvement by landing the Sportvision Stadia & Event Branding Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase, Newcastle’s penultimate contest of the afternoon.

After going close on his second chase start here 12 months ago, Hello Judge faltered last season, disappointing back here on Boxing Day and again at Sedgefield in January as connections soon opted to draw stumps for the campaign.

A wind operation in the summer aided him and he made a pleasing comeback when third at Hexham (1m7½f, soft) last month before advancing on that to score at Carlisle (2m4f, good to soft) nearly three weeks later.

He saw off 14 rivals there – a couple of them winners on their next starts – and did so in pleasing fashion having got to the front three out only to face a proper challenge from eventual runner-up Twoshotsoftequila in the final strides.

He is only 4lb higher now and has scope to improve further. His attitude could be a big asset in this small field come the latter stages of the race.