King’s Lynn is ready to reign at Gosforth Park

KING’S Lynn is an intriguing contender as he makes a first all-weather start in the Download The Racecourse App Raceday Ready Handicap at Newcastle today.

Now a seven-year-old, King’s Lynn was rated as high as 111 a couple of years ago after winning the Group Two Temple Stakes and going on to tackle some of the season’s biggest sprints.

However, he failed to make an impact in that kind of company and struggled to really find his place dropped back to handicap company last term, with his mark ensuring a tough test wherever he went.

King’s Lynn duly fell down the order and started the current campaign on a perch of 97, which was further reduced by 3lb after a Bath defeat in April.

His new mark of 94 certainly looked workable at Goodwood earlier this month when he was beaten just a neck over a five-furlong trip that looks a shade too short nowadays.

The all-weather surface is obviously an unknown factor but, having shown form on a range of conditions on turf, King’s Lynn seems pretty adaptable and might still just have a touch of class. Noble Order is on a retrieval mission in the Get The Inside Track With raceday-ready. com Handicap following a disappointing Newbury effort last month.

Winner of one of his four starts for Charlie Appleby, this smartly-bred gelding changed hands for just 16,000 guineas in the autumn after a prolonged spell off the track.

He looked a shrewd purchase on debut for new trainer Archie Watson though, landing a mile handicap at this venue in February on what was his first start in 456 days.

Noble Order could not build on that switched to turf next time, but he had excuses as he trailed home 16th of 21 runners in the Spring Cup, with the gelding reported to have lost a shoe and bled from his nose.

A step back in both company and trip, combined with a return to the all weather, can help him get back on track.

Rocket Warrior can bring up his hat-trick in the Get Raceday Ready Handicap, while Natzor can shed his maiden tag in the second division of the Download The Raceday Ready App Handicap.