The King May rule at Newcastle

RACING: Five-yearold tipped to star in handicap chase

Brian Ellison has his string in fine fettle, and THE KING OF MAY can prove the point by taking the Parklands Golf Club Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase at Newcastle today.

The five-year-old was the 20-1 outsider of seven when scoring on his debut over fences at Carlisle, but there was no fluke about it. He travelled and jumped well all the way and won more easily than the half-length verdict over subsequent winner Esprit Du Large would suggest.

The rules debut of JEREMY PASS is of obvious note too, in the concluding Logico Standard Open National Hunt Flat Race.

The four-year-old represents champion trainer Paul Nicholls and, intriguingly, owner John Dance – better known for the exploits of his Flat string, including the hugely admirable multiple Group One winner Laurens.

Dance takes to the floor with this jumping recruit, at his local track, and Jeremy Pass has fine credentials for his bumper assignment – having been about to challenge a subsequent Henderson recruit when he fell at the last on his only previous racecourse appearance in an Irish point eight months ago.

ZAMOYSKI can make his fitness count after several runs on the Flat, on his switch back to jumps in the Free Race Replays On Attheraces Handicap Hurdle at Southwell.

The nine-year-old, trained by Steve Gollings, is a dual winner over this extended two and a half miles and had his latest outing on the level just last week.

Anthony Honeyball turns JEPECK out again in the Free Tips Daily On attheraces.com Novices’ Hurdle, just two days after his facile win at Bangor.

A longer rest will very much be in order for the majority of those who battled through the mud in north Wales on Wednesday.

But the well-backed Jepeck scored with such ease, despite jumping to the right as he always seems to, that this swift return may well prove no problem at all as Honeyball explores a lucrative new avenue with the 10-year-old.

The former hunter will be going lefthanded again, at another sharp track, but curiously both his wins under rules have come this way round.