Quinault is the class act at Newcastle on Saturday, January 24, as he shoulders top weight of 10st 1lb in the Midnite, Building The Future Of Betting Handicap (5.35pm) over five furlongs.
Winner of heritage handicaps at York and Newmarket during a progressive three-year-old campaign in 2023, the 111-rated son of Oasis Dream is now an established performer at Stakes level for Stuart Williams.
Following a hat-trick of Listed wins in 2024, Quinault gained a first G3 success in the Criterion Stakes at York in June and ended his campaign with third in the G1 British Champions Sprint at Ascot.
Williams said: “We have an invite for the Dukhan Sprint in Qatar on February 14, which he finished third in last year. I think we went out there too fresh last year, so I wanted to give him a run before this time and this race fitted in perfectly.
“I would not be surprised if there is a bit more improvement in him as he ran the best race of his life at Ascot on his latest start. He is a big horse who has been a work in progress all the way along. Now he has matured and found his feet, we are looking forward to seeing what he can do this year.”
Equality brings in some notable form as well, having landed a G3 sprint at Sandown Park and finished third in the G1 Flying Five Stakes at the Curragh in 2023. The eight-year-old makes his third appearance of the winter for Charlie Hills, having previously been sidelined for 510 days.
Julie Camacho’s Germanic was a taking winner of a six-furlong handicap at Newcastle in November, although the five-year-old has to bounce back after weakening to ninth on AWC Trials Day last week.
Germanic’s former trainer William Haggas saddles Carbine Harvester, who was a close fifth in last season’s 3YO final. The son of Hello Youmzain has made the frame in both appearances at Kempton Park this season, latterly going down by a neck in early December.
The Nigel Tinkler-trained Paddy’s Day and apprentice Alex Jary look to build on their excellent Newcastle record, with the duo having combined for seven wins over the course and distance.
Tribal Wisdom turns his hand to sprinting after finishing fourth in a mile handicap at the track earlier this week. Trained by Ian Williams, the seven-year-old Frankel gelding has campaigned between a mile and 10 furlongs for most of his career.
