Tuesday Racing Tips: Ash can show the right spirit at Newcastle

The weather has put paid to National Hunt meetings at Plumpton and Chepstow on Tuesday, leaving three all-weather meetings on the schedule.

Dundalk, Wolverhampton and Newcastle’s evening fixture make up the programme and amongst our fancies on Tuesday is one for Andrew Slattery that went very close last time out and is looking to go one better over a new trip.

15:05 Wolverhampton - Pessoa @ 7/2

Adrian Wintle’s gelding Pessoa has been victorious in his last two starts over course and distance and is seeking a hat-trick in this 7f handicap.

This horse has a terrific record on an artificial surface and has won or placed in all but three of his 10 starts on the all-weather. All four of those wins have come here at Wolverhampton, making him a bit of a course specialist.

He was held up in the early stages of the race last time out and made smooth headway on the outer in the final couple of furlongs. Going on to score by a length-and-a-half, he pulled clear to win going away.

A son of Ardad, the five-year-old carries a 5lb penalty here as a result of that victory and may well have more in hand. There’s always the danger that the race has come too soon, having raced on Friday, but he should be capable of taking that in his stride.

15:55 Newcastle - Spirit Of Ash @ 15/8

There’s a competitive handicap over an extended 1m4f taking place at Newcastle an hour or so before that race in Ireland and Spirit Of Ash could be one to look out for. She’ll be attempting to gain yet another course victory and is clearly of interest.

A four-time course winner in just nine starts at Newcastle, Tristan Davidson’s five-year-old always saves her best for this track. Two of those wins have come over this trip and the most recent of those was back in November.

Her most disappointing efforts here have come over an extended two miles and the evidence suggests she doesn’t stay the trip. This means you can write off her most recent effort which came here earlier this month and the drop back in trip can make all the difference.

Second over course and distance in a slightly better race on her penultimate start, a similar effort could well be enough here, despite being rated 1lb higher this time around.

17:10 Dundalk - Tarsus @ 5/4

This is an interesting race for three-year-olds over 6f and Andrew Slattery’s Tarsus is likely to be a popular choice. This gelding has made some giant strides in his last couple of starts and steps up a furlong in trip for the first time.

It’s certainly easy to see why this horse could be popular in the betting and it would be no surprise to see him continue on an upward trajectory here.

The handicapper has given Slattery’s charge a rating of 91, which leaves the lightly raced sort with few opportunities at this time of year. This could prove to be a shrewd bit of placement, as the weight conditions of the race are definitely in his favour.

Just denied over the minimum trip here last time out, he was very strong at the finish and left the distinct impression that a step up in trip will indeed be suitable. He was beaten by a useful horse of Michael O’Callaghan’s (94-rated) that day and this race appears to be a little weaker.

If the step up in trip proves to be no problem as expected, this looks like a cracking opportunity to return to winning ways and Cian Horgan continues to take 7lb off.