Newcastle Placepot Picks – Paul Kealy’s Perm for the £50,000 Guaranteed Pool

Paul Kealy has mapped out a Newcastle Placepot permutation designed to attack tonight’s £50,000 Tote guarantee, and while the card is competitive from start to finish, he believes two stand-out bankers give players a solid spine around which to build.

Leg 1 – 5.25 The opener is the definition of a puzzle, yet Kealy is willing to forgive Prince Achille a below-par effort on Southwell’s fibresand last time; prior to that the gelding had been holding his own in stronger Newcastle handicaps. Dingwall is paired in the same line, having produced a string of solid recent efforts and expected to run right to his mark once again.

Leg 2 – 6.00 Form is thin on the ground for the six-runner maiden, so Kealy turns to the 50-1 debut revelation Minnie Idol, who split the highly-touted first and second last time. With the winner since going on to land a handicap, that form looks solid rather than flukey. Farandaway, a proven performer in this grade, is added for safety.

Leg 3 – 6.30 Quality jumps markedly in the seven-furlong handicap, and Kealy is happy to side with market leader Fast Track Harry as a single. The gelding’s second in a hot York handicap last spring still reads well, and a decisive Lingfield win on his latest start suggests the operation has re-ignited his enthusiasm.

Leg 4 – 7.00 Inishbeg is nominated as the most likely tricast glue. Beaten at Redcar last time, the Gosden runner-up has franked the form by winning again and is now rated 96 – a figure Kealy doubts will be matched by anything in tonight’s field.

Leg 5 – 7.30 With only seven declared, Kealy nevertheless sees an argument for every runner and opts for a two-pronged attack: Blue Lakota, proven at the track, and Emerald Harmony, whom he feels is smartly treated on debut for a powerful stable.

Leg 6 – 8.00 The finale is described as “a proper minefield”, so Kealy wheels in four contenders – I Can Boogy, Spirit Of Bowland, Starshot and Yorkstone – to ensure the permutation stays alive until the line.

Kealy’s final perm therefore reads: • Leg 1 – Prince Achille, Dingwall • Leg 2 – Minnie Idol, Farandaway • Leg 3 – Fast Track Harry (banker) • Leg 4 – Inishbeg (banker) • Leg 5 – Blue Lakota, Emerald Harmony • Leg 6 – I Can Boogie, Spirit Of Bowland, Starshot, Yorkstone

With the Tote pledging a £50,000 pool regardless of turnout, the value is already baked in, and Kealy’s selective approach offers both coverage and a puncher’s chance of landing a healthy return for a modest outlay.