TONY CALVIN: SATURDAY’s ITV details

1.COURSE DETAILS

NEWBURY (surprised they are watering on Thursday afternoon in the face of rain, but being a clerk is a tough gig at multi-day meetings)

GOING: Good, good to firm in places

“Anticipating a mixture of ‘Good to Firm & Good’ ground for Saturday.”

Going Stick: 5.7, Thursday 6am

Rails: 7f & 5f bends will be moved for Saturday, with a cut away into the straight.

Stalls: 1m2f & 1m4f – inside. Remainder (straight course) – centre.

Thursday course update: Only 0.5mm in showers yesterday. We lost 2.5mm of evaporation (ET) yesterday (15C). Forecast: Cloudy & breezy today with scattered showers this afternoon (2-5mm)(14C). Looks mostly dry tomorrow with the chance of an isolated shower, gentle breeze (14C).

Watering: w/c 20th April = 10mm. w/c 27th April = 15mm. 15mm cycle Tuesday 5th / Wednesday 6th. 15mm cycle Thursday 7th/ Friday 8th. 8-12mm cycle Monday. Selective watered the pull up (only) Wednesday (5mm). Selective watering this afternoon.

Yr.no latest (6.06am Thursday):   1.8mm Thursday; 1.2mm Friday

NEWMARKET

GOING: Good, good to firm in places

Going Stick: 7.2, Thursday 7am

Rails: Stands Side Course in Use.

Stalls:1m 4f – Centre, All other races – Far Side

Thursday course update: 3mm over the past 24 hours. Forecast: Thu – Threat of showers with a daytime high of 12c (potential for 3mm. Fri – Dry and cloudy, daytime high of 12c.

Watering: 20mm applied on Thursday / Friday. Further 15mm applied on Monday.

Yr.no latest (6.06am Thursday):  6.5mm Thursday; Dry Friday; 1mm Saturday

NO BALLOTED OUT RUNNERS

2.FIRST-TIME HEADGEAR STATS to follow

John and Thady Gosden cheekpieces; French Master, 1.25pm Newbury & My Love Is King, 3,45pm Newbury

Roger Teal cheekpieces; Dancing Gemini, 2.35pm Newbury;

Aidan O’Brien cheekpieces; The Lion In Winter, 2.35pm Newbury & Port Of Spain, 3.45pm Newbury

Daniel James Murphy cheekpieces; Frescobaldi, 3.10pm Newbury;

3.PACE MAPS (manually assessed)

1.25pm Newbury: Liberty Lane (drawn 3), West Wind Blows (5)

1.42pm Newmarket: Twisting Physics (6), Jimmy Speaking (10), Indian Spirit (prom – 3), Canvas (7)

2pm Newbury: Allaire (6), Esna (prom – 2), Fractional (4), Lady Roisia (prom – 1)

2.35pm Newbury: Dancing Gemini (prom – 6), Mississippi River (7)

2.50pm Newmarket:  Shah (6), Goldmoyne (8), I Still Have Faith (prom – 11), Son (3)

3.10pm Newbury: Aqpan (7), Egoli (9), Frescobaldi (3), Ghost Mode (6), Song Of The Clyde (11)

3.27pm Newmarket:  Sixtygeesbaby (3) Dashing Dick (prom – 4), Tabby (7), State Of Madness (8), Miraculous (5)

3.45pm Newbury: Bourbon Blues (3), Sintra (4), Spyce (prom – 6), Tierra Del Toro (prom – 10), Lost Boys (prom – 2)

4.TRAINERFORM (manually assessed) – form going into Thursday

Good:  William Haggas (very good), John and Thady Gosden, Aidan O’Brien, Andrew Balding,  Ralph Beckett (4-1 and 7-2 winners on Monday), F-H Graffard, James Owen, George Scott, George Boughey, , Roger Varian, Ed Dunlop,, Chris Dwyer (small sample) Philip McBride (two winners; five runners)

Fair: David O’Meara, Simon and Ed Crisford,   Clive Cox,Karl Burke, Tim Easterby, Ian Williams, , Eve Johnson Houghton, Alan King (a lot of near misses),  Charles Hills (two recent winners), Tom Dascombe, David Menuisier (fair/good), Daniel and Claire Kubler (no winners), Newland and Insole, John Butler (fair/good), Dylan Cunha, Emma Lavelle, Richard Hannon, T J Kent (one winner; four runners), Roger Teal (no winners), James Tate, Hugo Palmer, Michael Attwater, Mark Loughnane

Moderate:   Charlie Appleby, James Horton, Kevin Frost, Stuart Williams, Brian Meehan, Oliver Cole, Scott Dixon (perhaps better than bare figures)

Don’t know (small samples): Michael Wigham, Daniel James Murphy, William Stone (had a decent 2026 so far, though)