It may be the start of a new year, but the racing at Newcastle continues on regardless and it would be another low-key evening of equine action. Following on from the classy New Year's Day meeting, this meeting would sit between that one and a jumps meeting just two days later. It is a reminder of the congested calendar throughout the year at Gosforth Park with a huge amount of meetings in 2024. The weather was a lot calmer for the night of racing compared to last week and it would be a day for the lower echelons of racing to take the spotlight. As the clock struck midnight on New Year's Eve, every racehorse in training turned one year older. 

Race One: The Find More Big Deals At BetuUK Handicap - Class Six - 2 miles - Runners: 12
The action kicked off with a low grade handicap which would take the field on a complete tour of the Newcastle racecourse grounds. The field would consist of staying types and dual purpose sorts who have attempted hurdling in recent times but with little success. 
Ursa Major Racing were doubly represented in this race with the attractive grey Typewritten and the one time useful Ghadbbaan, who would be a leading contender on some of his older form as recently as the summer of 2023. Spirit Of Ash had transformed on the all-weather earlier in the winter and arrived with the best form figures coming into the race, but had failed to stay this trip on his previous attempt. Cold Henry enjoyed a productive 2023 with some solid performances, even posting a personal best in much higher level of race. Liberated Lad made the trip from Newmarket in search of an improvement in recent form. Local trainer Rebecca Menzies raced two of her horses in the form of the gradually improving Heatherdown Hero and Show No Fear whose latest start on the flat was a close second in a similar race here. Gift Of Raaj is a popular member of the Roger Fell stable and won on both the flat and over hurdles last year. He sprung a surprise at this course back in November. Strong Team remains fit as ever as he turns eleven and has ran well on the flat in recent starts. Crystal Guard produced one of his better efforts last time out and Zephlyn possesses an in and out profile. Lady Hamilton ran well over hurdles last year but had shown little on the level so far.
Winner: SHOW NO FEAR (Churchill x Euphrasia) (#8) - A. Rawlinson - R. Menzies
The field of experienced stayers got off to a level break from the start and immediately, the pace would be dictated by Ali Rawlinson with Show No Fear. In the early stages, he would be kept company by Zephlyn and Lady Hamilton, but the pace was only steady. The well fancied duo of Heatherdown Hero and Spirit Of Ash were slowly away from their gate and raced at the rear of the group. The twelve runners hacked their way around the full length of the Gosforth Park circuit with little change in the order. Approaching the home straight, Show No Fear kicked on from the exit of the bend and soon put daylight between himself and his rivals. The runaway leader began to extend his advantage further and had soon galloped into an eight length lead. Rawlinson could afford the luxury of looking behind him for dangers, but it would be plain sailing for the Rebecca Menzies gelding as he won by over five lengths eased down. Crystal Guard did best of the rest by chasing the winner's shadow into second while Zephlyn plugged on into third. The grey Typewritten made up most ground from the tail of the pack and stayed on into a well held fourth. The winner's stablemate Heatherdown Hero was never able to get a look in into the race. 

It would be a first career win for the four year old son of Churchill, who has improved since joining the Darlington stable of Rebecca Menzies. Show No Fear began his career in Ireland with Donnacha O'Brien before switching to Denis Hogan. He had a taste of hurdles last summer with a best result of second, but moved to Britain in the winter. The gelding would finish second at Newcastle in a similar two mile event in November but was then pulled up in a hurdle race at Hexham last time. This was a much better performance and a perfect way to kick off the new year with a first career win.   

Race Two: The Bet £10 Get £40 At BetMGM Handicap (Div. I) - Class Six - 1 mile - Runners: 11

The action rolled on and it would a handicap raced over half the distance of the opener. The class six event saw plenty of regulars in action as they looked to start 2024 in the best way possible. It would also be the first of two races to split into two divisions. 
The top weight Ibiza Rocks was a smart type in his younger days but had lost his way subsequently. He had shown promise on his previous starts at Newcastle which would be a plus point. Ubettabetquick was placed on a few occasions in her maiden season last year and made the switch to the synthetic surfaces for the first time since her debut. Irish raider Big Dream would swap Dundalk for Newcastle as he made the trip over the Irish Sea for trainer Anthony McCann. The mare Key Look holds plenty of racing experience and was a winner as recently as November having rejoined the Geoff Harker stable. Reflex has yet to discover his best form yet and made just his second start for Kevin Frost. Six year old gelding Maraakiz made a winning debut on the all-weather a few years ago and looked happier returning to the surface last time out with a better effort. Rebecca Menzies's Odds Socks Havana is a likable sort who has won at least once in all three of his full seasons. The Michael Dods-trained Marcello Si has raced as far as one mile and seven furlongs and took the drastic drop in trip to a mile here. Reclaim Victory is regularly on the premises at Newcastle, but last year's renewal of this race was the scene of nasty fall for the mare. Jim Goldie's Braes Of Doune was a winner of his latest start, albeit on turf back in July. Susan Corbett saddled Mekbat, who had yet to win so far but showed a little more on his most recent start. Bottom weight Mr Coco Bean is another veteran of the sport who has been going through the motions as he ages. 
Winner: MARCELLO SI (Marcel x Serenata Mia) (#10) - C. Lee - M. Dods
The first race under lights saw a substantial pre race gamble for the Michael Dods-trained Marcello Si who overtook favouritism from Big Dream and Ibiza Rocks. Punters will have been pleased to see the six year old make a bright start to the race and Marcello Si led the field back home under Clifford Lee. The well fancied Big Dream and Ibiza Rocks were in an ideal position early on while the likes of Reclaim Victory, Braes Of Doune and Odd Socks Havana were all held up but not far away. 
The pace would gradually increase as Clifford Lee began to unwind his mount. With challengers on each side, it would be an exciting finish to the race but Marcello Si kept finding for pressure and nosed ahead. From the rear, Braes Of Doune caught the eye with a strong late charge on his return to action, but the line came too soon for the flying Scottish runner. Odds Socks Havana would also make a good late bid for glory and relegated the Irish challenger Big Dream down to fourth. It would be another first time winner on the night as the six year old son of Marcel finally crossed the line in front. He had raced over a range of distances from a mile up to just under two miles. The stamina of racing over further would prove to be a winning advantage as the gelding kept responding to every urging. There would be a nice moment as his owner-breeder Mrs H I S Calzini led her horse back into the winner's enclosure.

Race Three: The Bet £10 Get £40 At BetMGM Handicap (Div. II) - Class Six - 1 mile - Runners: 8
The second division of this class six handicap over a mile looked fairly similar to the first with plenty of runners separated by little on ratings. The first seven in the racecard were covered by three pounds. 
The top weight Eleven Eleven seemingly enjoys the course and has a good record at Gosforth Park with two wins and four placings. Mayjority benefitted from the move to Micky Hammond's yard when finishing nicely into third last time out over course and distance. Key Look is another former Newcastle winner for the Geoff Harker stable who are often well represented in these sorts of races. The Michael Dods-trained Fifty Sent was in good form halfway through last year before her form dipped. Top Gun Tina remained fairly lightly raced but had some good placed form at Newcastle. The eleven year old Great Colaci is a legend of the Gillian Boanas stable and an eight time winner at Gosforth Park. Pallas Lord has been a honest type throughout his career and began to return to form when last seen in December. The maiden Rajawail posted a career best when last seen by finishing second at long odds in first time blinkers. 
Winner: ELEVEN ELEVEN (Olympic Glory x Pretty Panther) (#1) - L. Edmunds - J. Macey
The smaller field in division two of this handicap would see Rajawail cut out the early running with Pallas Lord keeping the leader honest. Eleven Eleven was keen to go to post and keen to come home during the race as Lewis Edmunds had his hands full in the opening exchanges. The favourite was allowed to stride on at the halfway stage and injected some pace into the race. Approaching the final furlong, Eleven Eleven showed a smart change of gear to pull right away from the pack and enjoy a relaxing run to the finish line. Pallas Lord chased in vain but could only manage second, with Top Gun Tina finishing strongly into third. Mayjority confirmed his liking for the course with a fourth placed finish.

It would be another winner for the husband and wife team of Lewis Edmunds and Jess Macey with their popular six year old Eleven Eleven. Winning for the third time in his career, the gelding had a tendency of racing enthusiastically in his races which prove costly on a number of occasions. However, given the freedom to stride on in this race, he was able to make a return to the number one spot for the first time since February last year.

Race Four: The Best Racing Odds Guaranteed At BetMGM Handicap - Class Five - 1 mile - Runners: 11
The class five handicap appeared to be a classy affair for the grade with plenty of once useful types and others on the upgrade.
Richard Spencer's filly Ivory Madonna was a high class juvenile in 2022, finishing third in the Albany Stakes at Royal Ascot behind Meditate. Despite this, she remains winless but a talented sort as she looks for that elusive first victory. The David O'Meara stable was well represented and they saddled the vastly experienced pair of Young Fire and last time out winner Star Shield. His stablemate August took up this option instead of the following novice race and bumped into a potentially smart type here last week. Dragons Will Rise has been a star of the stable at Micky Hammond's Middleham yard with plenty of success, but missed the majority of 2023. Trais Fluors was once high class in his youth, but now as a ten year old found himself competing at this level. Rocket Rod produced his typically strong finishing effort into third here last week and was looking for more of the same. Hale End landed her first win last year and ran at an admirable level for the rest of the year. The eight year old Succellus had raced at a higher level on turf last year but has gone a while without winning. The grey Spacer is another to have lost his way recently and was on a retrieval mission. Covert Legend moved to the Tjade Collier yard and caught the eye on stable debut last month when finding trouble in running.
Winner: HALE END (Mehmas x Would It Matter) (#8) - C. Lee - M. Dods
Tactics would once again play a vital role in the race as it proved beneficial to race close to the lead. The well backed August made the early running on his quick return to action, but would be a sitting duck as plenty of his rivals sat in his slipstream. Hale End was never far away and Sucellus helped to set the modest tempo. At the rear, Spacer would be beaten at the halfway stage and weakened quickly out of contention while Rocket Rod was slow away from the stalls and never featured. 
As August began to fade gradually, Hale End was in the right spot to capitalise. Clifford Lee found himself at the front of the field once again in the closing stages but the challengers came from the rear. The grey Ivory Madonna finished well under Jason Hart to finish second for the eighth time in her career and would be joined by the well travelled Star Shield and Trais Fluors in filling out the placings. The first three would come home in intervals and the Michael Dods and Clifford Lee double on the night would be complete in comfortable fashion. The winning four year old made a deserved return to the winner's rostrum having remained largely consistent since joining Michael Dod's yard in Darlington. Finishing no lower than fifth in all starts for the stable, Hale End had run respectably on the turning track of Wolverhampton recently. Switching to the straight mile saw a much more polished display and the son of Mehmas would take some notable scalps. 

Race Five: The Boost Your Acca At BetMGM Novice Stakes - Class Five - 1 Mile - 4-Y-O's and older - Runners: 7

The mile novice race has seen contrasting fortunes in previous years. Last year saw the longshot Notimeforanother spring a surprise, but 2022 saw the flashy grey Tyrrhenian Sea make a winning start to a career which has since seen him win at listed level. 

This year's crop would be a mild bunch of relatively unknown qualities and others looking for a first win on the flat. The race would appear to be a relatively simple task for last week's novice winner Bystander. The gelding looked a nice sort when comprehensively beating August in an identical race while Knight Of Magic and Nights Over Egypt finished further down the field, but were in opposition once again. The eight year old mare Bella Bluesky won twice in the national hunt scene and returned to the flat for trainer Ewan Whillans. The Julie Camacho-trained filly Golden Echo made her first racecourse appearance as a four year old and is related to some talented sorts. Hopeful made his long awaited return to action for trainer Andrew Balding having finished a promising fourth on debut as a two-year-old in 2022. Run Simba's best effort would be a second in handicap company last year and made her debut for the Paul Midgley yard. 

Winner: HOPEFUL (Make Believe x Moon Mountain) (#6) - PJ McDonald - A. Balding
The race was largely expected to be a breeze for the treble seeking Clifford Lee aboard Bystander, but things in racing are never that easy which saw a surprising reversal. The four year old son of Lope de Vega was sent into the lead straight away and he would be joined by Knight Of Magic who kept two horse widths away to his left. Just in behind, the renowned silks of Prince A A Faisal were in close order with Hopeful as the pack raced two by two throughout. 
At the halfway stage, things were still going to plan for backers of the favourite, but Clifford Lee soon began to nudge his horse along. Fate soon set in as Lee began to ride Bystander harder while Hopeful was still travelling very well on his tail. PJ McDonald only had steer his horse around the weakening favourite and press the go button to which his mount showed a very classy turn of pace. Running further away from her rivals, it would be an impressive way to return to action. It would be a telling sign that Andrew Balding would send one horse from his Kingsclere base up to Newcastle some 300 miles away. The daughter of Make Believe, the same sire as global star Mishriff, had missed the entirety of 2023 through a layoff. Her only start to date came at Newmarket in October 2022 where he finished fourth and caught the eye. Hopeful is also a half sister to Eydon, a one-time Epsom Derby contender who finished fourth in the 2022 2,000 Guineas. The form of the race will be put under scrutiny, but the style of the win suggested the filly can make the wait worthwhile. 

Race Six: The BetMGM It's Showtime Handicap - Class Six - 6 Furlongs - Runners: 7
A low grade handicap would be in store for this group of horses who have now officially turned three year olds. It would be a slightly smaller field than the average handicap for this level, but it would contain previous winners and potential improvers. 

The George Boughey-trained Warming entered handicap company for the first time following three midfield finishes in quick succession. The Owners Group silks were worn on track by Zachary for the Charlie Johnston stable. The gelding won twice on the all-weather but had disappointed last time. Gay Kelleway's Wren Officer posted a promising effort when dropped back to this distance and was open to improvement. The newly-gelded Mereside Madness ran three times at modest level on the turf and lined up on the artificial surfaces for the first time. Lady In Havana made a perfect start for trainer David Loughnane and ran with credit when second next time out. Alibi Warning looked to be getting the hang of things on her penultimate start but failed to back it up recently. Stablemate Sue's Little Angel was another making her all-weather debut and had raced three times at York last summer. 

Winner: WREN OFFICER (Territories x Snowdon) (#3) - D. Allan - G. Kelleway
The foggy conditions on the night gradually worsened and visibility was limited to the final two furlongs. Silhouettes of horses and riders began to emerge from the gloom and early leader Warming had been joined by Alibi Warning. The pace setters began to weaken which allowed the closers to take over. Race favourite Lady In Havana loomed large on the near side but her effort dissolved almost as quickly as it had begun which left Wren Officer to finish strongly and land this useful contest from the staying on Mereside Madness. Warming plugged on into third with Zachary taking fourth.
It would be a first career win for the three year old gelding who has improved since moving across Newmarket from George Boughey to Gay Kelleway. A first stable start saw the son of Territories finish a fast closing fourth over seven furlongs before getting outpaced over six furlongs. Returning to a stiffer track here, the small field also played to his advantage and everything aligned for that maiden victory.

Race Seven: The Win £2,000,000 With BetMGM's Golden Goals Classified Stakes - Class Six - 7 Furlongs - Runners: 12
This seven furlong contest was open to those with basement ratings of 0-50 which gave the opportunity for racing's lesser lights to have their moment in the spotlight.

The Grant Tuer-trained Amerrone hails from a very smart family but has shown next to nothing on the track. Hopes were pinned on the four year old showing some spark at this easier level. Annalee Lass won at Newcastle in March last year and added another win for her previous stable a few weeks later. She has finished third in two recent starts at this venue. Atrafan was in smart form at the turn of 2023 with wins and second places at this level. The now ten year old will have blown off the cobwebs following a return from a break recently Cheese The One has been a permanent fixture at this level throughout her career but remains an honest sort with three wins to date. Heartlander is another to be well related, but has shown no promise whatsoever. Even a stable switch has failed to inspire her. Indrapura Star is now with his third trainer after just eight starts. Maddisonelle is another to finish closer to last than first in her five starts. The nine year old Retirement Beckons enjoyed a mini revival last year with three wins for the Linda Perratt team. Royal Prospect had run well in defeat before the end of 2023 and was last seen over hurdles, where he pulled up. Rum Runner was once above average in his younger days but has settled into this level nowadays. True Nation looked promising in her first two starts but has since gone backwards throughout 2023. The lineup would be completed by Two Rivers, who was another to make a second start of the week. 
Winner: ROYAL PROSPECT (Thewayyouare x Jillian) (#9) - C. Hardie - S. Corbett
The race would be run in similar conditions to the previous contest, but there would be little change in the order in the opening stages. True Nation was just about visible as the early leader with the likes of Two Rivers, Cheese The One and Atrafan all close up. Entering the final two furlongs, the crowd got their first glimpse of the action and saw Royal Prospect travelling nicely under Cam Hardie. The nine year old kicked on and found himself with a good advantage entering the final stages but the grey Cheese The One gave chase all the way to the line. Two Rivers took home third for the second time in forty-eight hours while Maddisonelle produced her best effort to date with a fourth place. The winning margin would be only a length, but it was a comfortable win for Royal Prospect. Now trained by Susan Corbett, he had run well on the all-weather recently with a couple of placings through the winter. Attempting hurdles for the first time on his latest start, he pulled up at Ayr but this was much more to his liking. Now a nine time winner, he has been a huge credit to his owners down the years. 

Race Eight: The BetUK, Home Of The Acca-Fenwa Handicap (Div. I) - Class Six - 6 Furlongs - Runners: 12
The finale of the evening would be split into two divisions but featured plenty of returning faces who had run here in recent months. 
Araifjan's handicap rating slipped down to a winnable one when he scored at Chelmsford, but struggled again recently.  Lockdown's best recent run came when a narrow second at Dundalk and made the trip from Ireland to run here.  Stable legend Athollblair Boy lined up at Newcastle yet again and is part of the furniture at Gosforth Park. Lezardieux is another well travelled sort who has won at a higher level, but not for a long time. Linda Perratt's Nazca surprised even his trainer when winning from a rating of 39 in October, but went on to complete a four timer of wins; shooting up the weights in the process. Patrick Morris sent Corinthian Kid up from Newcastle for this low key event, but the filly had only produced one decent run since joining the stable. Willow Baby placed three times in a row over this distance but the step up in trip last time saw a below par run. Enderman is a useful sort on his day and has placed on numerous occasions. Sydney Bay found a jolt of improvement since joining the Geoff Harker stable as he won twice and finished second. A disappointing run last time saw a first time visor experimented with. Phoenix Star is another dual Newcastle from last year where he scored a quickfire double in September. He has since run well at this competitive level recently. Global Humour is a typical Jim Goldie sort with victories over five, six and seven furlongs on his CV. The nine year old rounded out the card from bottom weight. 

Winner: NAZCA (Oasis Dream x Pure Line) (#6) - T. Jakes - L. Perratt
The recurring theme of the night would be to race prominently and take advantage of the position close home. That would ring true one again as Nazca returned to winning ways. The five year old raced just in behind the leader which was the brightly coloured blinkers of Enderman. The Irish challenger Lockdown also raced close to the pace with a well group pack jockeying for position. Entering the final furlong, Nazca joined Enderman and the pair battled briefly before young rider Tommie Jakes's seven pound allowance came into play. Nazca would be strong at the finish and held off the charging Athollblair Boy who ran yet another brilliant race despite his aging legs. 
The story of Nazca's career has been a very notable one. Starting out life with the premier stable of John and Thady Gosden, his stay was only a brief one as he joined Linda Perratt's Scotland yard after two runs. Even then, the signs didn't look promising. Plenty more heavy defeats saw his rating drop to the bottom of the barrel where suddenly, he gained his first win at Chelmsford. That would then spark a four timer of wins which very few will have predicted and his rating shot up from 39 to 60 in the space of just over a month. It would seem the bubble had burst on his last two starts, but Nazca reminded us of his ability to make it five wins in eight starts. It has been a great example of never giving up on a horse and the wonders of confidence in a horse. 

Race Nine: The BetUK, Home Of The Acca-Fenwa Handicap (Div. II) - Class Six - 6 Furlongs - Runners: 12.

Division two of the class six handicap would see an arguably stronger lineup than the first division with a good portion of runners showing potential in recent starts.
Noteable cashed in on her low rating to score on this course and distance back in November. Jems Bond won on this card last year and has a good record at Newcastle. Carlton And Co's only win came at Newcastle but has run well in defeat recently from uncompromising positions. Ignac Lamar showed he was close to peak form when finishing third here last time out.The Princes Poet hasn't spent long with current trainer Ian McInnes and caught the eye in his last two starts. Flash The Dash's rating has slipped further and further as he continued the search for a second career win. Drakeholes's first win came in impressive style on this course and remained relatively lightly raced. Golden Rainbow found himself with his fourth different trainer as he debuted for the Rebecca Menzies yard and raced from a career-low rating. Richard Fahey's Dyed In The Wool landed his only win in the three-year-old's handicap on this card last year but is another to be out of form. Stormy Pearl made her debut for the David Thompson stable and had been a regular on turf, this would be just her third all-weather start. Ian Jardine's The Gay Blade last won in August last year but has placed five times since then. Chookie Dunedin has been an admirable sort for years and would be making his ninety-ninth career, edging closer to the big milestone. 
Winner: THE GAY BLADE (Mazameer x Big Mystery) (#12) - A. Mullen - I. Jardine
The fog that had lingered in the background earlier in the night had taken over which left only half a furlong of visibility available and challenging conditions. 
From the start, The Gay Blade made a flying start and found himself at the head of the queue early on. The heavily backed Flash The Dash suffered slight interference at the start which was far from ideal. The conditions made it hard work to decipher which horse was which, but as the dark spots came out of the fog and into view, the race had seemingly already been settled. Andrew Mullen aboard The Gay Blade was already a few lengths to the good and as his rivals toiled, the five year went further clear. Coasting across the line some seven lengths clear of Jem's Bond and Noteable, it was a very impressive way to land a third career win. The lightly weighted five year old had run well on his recent starts, finishing placed on a range of conditions on turf and on the all weather. He reversed the form with Noteable from their previous meeting in some style and the style of the performance brightened up the evening.