Newsboy's horse racing selections for Thursday's four meetings, including Newcastle nap

STAND STRONG is fancied to double his career tally by beating four opponents for the High Gosforth Park Golf Club Handicap (6.00) at Newcastle today.

The Ewan Whillans-trained son of Cracksman drew a blank on his first 13 starts, of which the first three were for Saeed bin Suroor.

But a first attempt at two miles saw Stand Strong enjoy a red-letter day over course and distance at the beginning of August.

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Sent off at 4-1 in a field of seven, Aiden Brookes’ mount – PJ McDonald is in the plate this afternoon – my selection came with a powerful run from the back of the field to beat Weddell Sea by two and a quarter lengths.

The runner-up has run well since and the third Paper Doll has scored twice since, including when landing a handicap over two and a quarter miles at Musselburgh at the end of last month, a race in which Strand Strong, who had little luck in running, came home in third.

A mark of 59 – the revised figure is 4lb above his winning rating – looks within range and, back over Newcastle’s two-miles, Stand Strong gets the Nap vote to get back to winning ways.

At Newmarket, PALLADIUM showed the benefit of a gelding operation to score at Salisbury 13 days ago and stands out in the Listed Jockey Club Rose Bowl Stakes (4.10).

Thursday's selections
NEWMARKET
1.50 MALTESE CROSS
2.25 DARK SHORE

3.00 LADY ROXBY
3.35 DISTANT STORM
4.10 PALLADIUM (NB)
4.45 SON OF MAN
5.18 JUST TYPICAL

PERTH
1.58 KENISA SPORT
2.33 KING ROLY
3.08 CLAN CHIEFTAIN
3.43 UPFORDEBATE
4.18 IMPERIAL DATA
4.53 THE FLYING POET
5.23 MAILLOT BLANC

PONTEFRACT
2.08 PAPA DON’T PREACH
2.43 SPANISH WALTZ
3.18 RUNAMARA
3.53 GASPACHO
4.28 CALLA LAGOON
5.05 SONIC PIONEER
5.38 LOVING APPRENTICE

NEWCASTLE
5.00 MUKHTALIF
5.30 RUBELLITE
6.00 STAND STRONG (NAP)
6.30 MENWIRR
7.00 ON KEY
7.30 CORAMENTO
8.00 PARISH COUNCILLOR
8.30 FLETCHERS DREAM

DOUBLE: STAND STRONG and PALLADIUM