Virgin Bet Eider Handicap Chase – 2.10 Newcastle – Saturday 22nd February

Saturday’s Virgin Bet Eider Handicap Chase at 2.10 at Newcastle might not look quite as some previous renewals of the race have – as with the ground currently described as ‘good to soft,’ only a maximum of 5-7mm forecast between now and race time and mid-teens temperatures from tomorrow, we might even be looking at a ‘good’ ground Eider.

What’s for near certain, is that it won’t be soft or heavy ground and that will count against the likes of market leaders O’Connell, Collector’s Item, Anglers Crag, Passing Well, Egbert and any number of other likely contenders.

As things stand, it looks a decent opportunity to get ahead of the market before declarations on Thursday morning. There could conceivably be a few who don’t take up the option and so locking in a price and 4 places now seems relatively wise.

Firstly, it is last month’s Edinburgh National runner-up Bodhisattva who is available widely at 14/1 each-way for 4 places. County Meath trainer John McConnell is a dab hand at finding suitable targets for his horses over on these shores, and off the back of a never-nearer 2^nd at Musselburgh over 3m7½f, the extra 2 furlongs and switch to a galloping left-handed track will surely see Bodhisattva to even better effect.

Callum Pritchard is booked again it seems, and should he be able to keep Bodhisattva in contention over the first half of the race, then there will be nothing galloping stronger than him on the final circuit.

The other one to back now is Ilikedwayurthinkin also at 14/1 generally each-way for 4 places, as following his mightily impressive win at the track over 3m6f on Fighting Fifth day, it’s not hard to envisage connections eyeing this target from at least that point on (if not significantly before.)

With a spin around at Ayr last month to keep the wheels in motion, when very weak in the market, and it appears everything into place for the likeable 11-year-old Ilikedwayurthinkin to land this prestigious prize for a trainer who would surely dearly love to win it.

The main feature of that win on Fighting Fifth day was that he ran the final circuit in a very similar time to Rehearsal Chase runner-up The Changing Man on the same day, and with the ground likely to be similar on Saturday, he will bounce off it and prove a hard horse to keep up with for what are mostly soft ground lovers.